**DOE’s LNG Export Pause Remains Intact Despite Recent Authorization for New Fortress Energy**
The decision by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to authorize New Fortress Energy Inc. to re-export liquefied natural gas (LNG) has not garnered the confusion that it might. This move, announced on September 3, does not signify the end of the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits. According to a DOE spokesperson, as interviewed by Oil & Gas Journal on September 5, the authorization is a specific case and does not increase the overall export volume of the New Fortress Energy Altamira floating LNG export platform. Instead, it permits the platform to re-export up to 0.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of U.S.-sourced natural gas as LNG to non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries, including allies in Europe, for a five-year term.
### Context of the Pause
The pause on LNG export authorizations was initiated by the Biden administration in January as part of a broader effort to enhance the DOE’s review process. This decision aimed to ensure that the agency more strongly considers the climate and economic impacts of boosting LNG exports. The review process was paused to allow for an updated analysis, given that the current methodology was roughly five years old and no longer adequately accounted for considerations such as potential energy cost increases for American consumers and manufacturers, as well as the latest assessments of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
### Impact on Projects
The January decision did not affect the eight LNG terminals already in operation or the ten projects that already held DOE export authorizations and were under construction. However, it did pose a significant challenge to future U.S. LNG export development. This move was met with litigation from industry groups and attorneys general in 16 Republican states, arguing against the pause. A federal court judge in Louisiana subsequently blocked the pause on LNG export permits, but the real-world implications of this ruling