“There is no way to increase USLNG exports and meet the imperative climate commitments that the US and EU have promised,” said Abigail Di...
“There is no way to increase USLNG exports and meet the imperative climate commitments that the US and EU have promised,” said Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice, a rights organization of the environment. She warned that the buildup of LNG infrastructure would “lock in expensive fossil fuel dependency and dangerous pollution for decades to come.”
U.S. and European officials also agreed to seek ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from LNG infrastructure and pipelines and reduce methane releases from gas operations. They said they would step up energy efficiency initiatives, such as deploying heat pumps and using clean hydrogen technologies to replace fossil fuels, as well as accelerating planning and approvals for renewable energy projects such as offshore wind and solar energy.
The Biden Administration banned Russian energy imports as part of a sanctions package against Mr Putin, a relatively easy step for the United States as it is a net exporter of energy. Some U.S. lawmakers would like the European Union to stop buying oil and gas from Russia altogether, but that prospect has been dismissed by several European leaders, who see it as a financially disastrous move that would hurt Europe more than to Russia.
Some energy experts have said a further escalation in the war, such as a move by Mr Putin to use chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, could leave the European Union with little choice but to ban the purchase of Russian energy.
“We want, as Europeans, to diversify away from Russia, towards suppliers we trust, who are friends and who are reliable,” said Ms von der Leyen of the European Commission during the meeting. announcement with Mr. Biden. “Therefore, the United States’ commitment to supply the European Union with at least an additional 15 billion cubic meters of LNG this year is a big step in that direction, as it will replace the LNG supply we currently receive. of Russia.”
Still, oil and gas executives said Mr. Biden and Ms. von der Leyen should be patient and recognize that decisions about who sells gas to whom would be made across the negotiating tables by private companies, not by politicians. Ultimately, exporters will seek to sell their gas to buyers willing to pay the highest price.
“It’s a capitalist system,” said Mr. Souki, the Tellurian executive. “It’s people like me who make those decisions. The government cannot tell us where to send the gas.
The report was provided by Matina Stevis-Gridneff, Christopher F. Schuetze, Monika Pronczuk and Zolan Kanno-Youngs.
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