From the Daily Caller
Nick Pope
Contributor
Forty-five Republican lawmakers are demanding answers from the Energy Department after a government watchdog group accused it of covering up a key study that could disrupt one of the Biden-Harris administration's toughest crackdowns on fossil fuels.
Lawmakers sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday in response to regulators' accusations that her agency conducted or drafted a 2023 liquefaction regulation before suspending approval of certain LNG exports. study of the emissions impacts of natural gas (LNG) exports and then quietly buried the study. The watchdog agency that made the charges, Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO), is suing the agency under the Public Records Act to obtain thousands of pages of documents that the Energy Department admitted may meet specific requests for GAO's search for 2023 research reports it said the agency was guilty of political corruption. Buried for Purpose The study, as first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation, reached uncomfortable conclusions.
“It is troubling that the Biden-Harris administration is trying to conceal its findings on the impact of LNG. Despite evidence that U.S. LNG is beneficial to the economy and global energy security, the Department of Energy is indefinitely without legal basis to Banning LNG Exports to Non-FTA Countries “The Department of Energy's lack of transparency about existing research and the motivations behind ongoing research is unacceptable. The American people should be held accountable for the decision-making process surrounding our energy future.” (Related: Qatar expands gas export capacity after Biden administration suspends new hub approvals)
DOE letter on LNG research, GAO accusations by Nick Pope on Scribd
https://www.scribd.com/embeds/783937852/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-A6V3BGWxOtspoJBAkYTD
If the GAO's allegations are ultimately confirmed, the Biden-Harris administration actually misled the public during an election year and enacted a policy that harmed U.S. geopolitical interests and stifled investment in major energy projects. However, deep-pocketed environmental lobbying groups aligned with Democrats in the 2024 election cycle welcomed the policy.
In their letter, the lawmakers specifically asked Granholm to clarify whether the agency was responsible for the emissions impact of LNG exports before announcing on Jan. 26 a freeze on approvals of LNG export terminals that ship gas to non-FTA countries. No analysis was performed. Lawmakers also asked Granholm to detail whether senior Energy Department officials or White House personnel had received updated information on such an analysis, even if preliminary, in the first 10 months of 2023 and whether the agency still intended to do so in 2025. released its findings in January.
“The Department of Energy has received this letter and is reviewing it,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement shared with DCNF. “The U.S. Department of Energy's process to update the analysis that informed the review of applications to authorize exports of U.S. natural gas to non-FTA countries is well underway. When the updated analyzes are ready, we will release them for public review and availability Comment.
Lawmakers gave Granholm until Nov. 8 to respond to their inquiries. Republican Reps. Darrell Issa of California, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Harriet Hagerman of Wyoming, Lance Gooden of Texas and Georgia Buddy Carter and others also joined Pfluger in signings.
Notably, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee sent Granholm its own letter Wednesday requesting answers on the same issue.
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