{"id":655263,"date":"2018-12-16T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T14:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=655263"},"modified":"2018-12-17T07:45:10","modified_gmt":"2018-12-17T14:45:10","slug":"the-u-s-is-helping-the-natural-gas-industry-profit-at-the-expense-of-the-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2018\/12\/the-u-s-is-helping-the-natural-gas-industry-profit-at-the-expense-of-the-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"The U.S. is helping the natural gas industry profit — at the expense of the environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"LNG\"

Kevin Clancy \/ Newsy<\/p>

A carrier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is docked at Cheniere\u2019s Sabine Pass Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, on July 6. Cheniere is the largest U.S. exporter of LNG.<\/p><\/div>\n

Last November, diplomats from Brazil to Japan joined oil and gas executives at the headquarters of Washington\u2019s largest lobbying group to christen a new partnership.<\/p>\n

Inside the marble walls of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce<\/a>, a crowd of 200 welcomed the U.S. Gas Infrastructure Exports Initiative<\/a> \u2014 a coalition of 25 companies, nine trade groups, five law firms, at least five federal agencies and a nonprofit think tank. Its mission: to drive sales of American natural gas by pumping dollars into pipelines and gas-processing facilities overseas.<\/p>\n

The initiative, coordinated in part by a natural gas lobbyist, is the latest federal effort to market the fuel as a \u201cclean\u201d energy source amid surging U.S. drilling<\/a> and exports. American gas production is projected to account for almost 40 percent<\/a> of the world\u2019s gas growth through 2040, according to the International Energy Agency. Countries like China are buying up tank loads of LNG \u2014 natural gas that has been supercooled to liquefy it \u2014 to generate power, heat buildings and fuel trucks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to exporting LNG, the United States is open for business,\u201d Mark Menezes<\/a>, under secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, assured the audience at the launch of the gas initiative. Menezes, a former utility industry lobbyist, added that exporting U.S. liquified natural gas is \u201cclearly in our economic interest.\u201d<\/p>\n