Turner Partners with House Energy and Commerce Committee to Increase U.S. LNG Exports

Statement

Today, Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), partnered with the House Energy and Commerce Committee to introduce the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act.

The recent events in Ukraine have highlighted Europe's vulnerability toward Russian gas exports. Reaching these markets with U.S. natural gas will increase U.S. production, jobs, and grow our economy.

For far too long, the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, has invested billions in infrastructure and energy subsidies in order to control and influence our allies in Europe. As a result, many European partners have been essentially held hostage due to a lack of alternative energy providers. Recognizing Russia's tight hold on the European energy markets, Congressman Mike Turner has spent the last year working closely with American suppliers and overseas allies in order to find a solution to this problem.

The Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act would expedite the permit process to export U.S. natural gas to World Trade Organization (WTO) countries. This bipartisan legislation would provide our allies with an alternative and reliable source of energy, strengthen our strategic alliances, reduce the trade deficit, and create American jobs.

"Helping our allies diversify their energy resources is vital to strengthening our strategic partnerships and bolstering security," said Turner. "Many of our allies are heavily reliant upon natural gas supplies from either one country or from unstable regions, which poses a threat to their security and their independence. Recent events taking place in Ukraine have shed increasing light on Europe's vulnerability toward Russian natural gas exports. We have seen in Ukraine that Russia will use its energy resource dominance to expand its sphere of influence. Increasing U.S. natural gas exports will provide our allies with an alternative an reliable source of energy, helping to strengthen their independence and creating jobs right here at home."

Currently, under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, companies seeking to export natural gas must gain approval from the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, which determines if such exports are in the public interest. For countries with which the United States has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the approval is automatic. For non-FTA countries, there is a regulatory process to determine if such exports are in the public interest.

The United States is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world and is experiencing a surplus in production. A Department of Energy-commissioned report found that increasing exports of natural gas would have positive economic benefits for our country.

"Today, I am proud to announce my most recent partnership on the issue of LNG exports. I look forward to working with Chairman Fred Upton and the House Energy and Commerce Committee to further this critical issue, " said Turner.

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