Sixteen states sue the Biden administration over LNG export permit ‘pause’

A coalition of 16 states is suing the Biden administration over its over its decision to pause liquified natural gas export permits.

The suit was announced Thursday by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and specifically names as defendants President Biden, the Energy Department and several top agency officials including Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The lawsuit alleges that the Biden administration’s policy is illegal and causes serious harm to the plaintiff states, local communities and the energy sector of the United States.

“The Biden administration’s illegal attacks on American energy jeopardizes the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working Louisiana men and women, millions of dollars in tax revenue, and billions of dollars in infrastructure,” Murrill said in a statement.

While the Biden administration has said the pause in export permits is temporary, officials have given various estimates for when permitting might resume. The multi-state lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction on the export permitting ban.

Louisiana is joined in the lawsuit by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia and Wyoming.