Environmental and Community Groups Respond to Energy Transfer’s Push for DOE to Approve Exports from Lake Charles LNG

Washington, DC – Environmental and community groups filed a letter this morning with the Department of Energy urging the department not to rush to approve Energy Transfer's flawed application to export gas from the planned Lake Charles LNG export terminal. The letter comes in response to a filing made yesterday by Energy Transfer demanding that DOE immediately approve its pending application in light of a ruling earlier this month by a Louisiana-based federal judge staying DOE’s temporary pause on consideration of pending LNG export applications.

In its request, Energy Transfer overstates the court’s order, which does not mandate that DOE immediately approve any application. The order simply requires DOE to continue reviewing applications pursuant to the Natural Gas Act’s mandate to evaluate whether the project is consistent with the public interest. DOE must also still comply with its obligations to evaluate the project’s environmental harms, which requires supplemental review of the Lake Charles LNG project.

The environmental groups, including For a Better Bayou, Habitat Recovery Project, Healthy Gulf, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Micah Six Eight Mission, and Sierra Club, note that “DOE should reject LCE’s panicked request to rush a decision on its flawed application.” The groups continue, “If DOE chooses to take immediate action, DOE should deny the application because the project’s extensive impacts on U.S. consumers, U.S. global strategic interest, local communities, and the climate render [Lake Charles LNG’s] proposal contrary to the public interest.”