An energy provider welcomed the order, calling it “great news.”
The massive Alaska natural gas pipeline and export project, which was heavily opposed by environmental organizations, was given the green light by the Biden administration on Monday.
The final decision by the Department of Energy (DOE) reportedly confirms the project’s initial 2020 clearance under the Trump administration but modifies it to incorporate additional environmental precautions. The export terminal and 807 miles of pipeline included in the $38.7 billion project would significantly boost the volume of natural gas exported from the United States to Asia.
The business behind the project, the state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC), was pleased with the record of decision and said it will benefit the United States in providing more energy to its allies.
In April, when the decision was issued, AGDC President Frank Richards commented, “This order is great news for the Alaska LNG (liquefied natural gas) project.” The Biden administration has reiterated its support for Alaska LNG, saying it is environmentally beneficial and legal. As a result, Alaskans and U.S. allies will have access to a sizable supply of energy with low emissions and production practices that are consistent with global environmental goals.
Richards said that “this decision adds to the list of people who support Alaska LNG,” promising to press on with the project.
The DOE’s decision will prevent carbon dioxide from exiting the atmosphere and will back up existing environmental regulations. So, the developer of the project can ship LNG to countries outside the Free Trade Agreement. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finally approved the project in May of 2020, long after it had been proposed in 2014.
The concept calls for constructing a pipeline from Alaska’s natural gas-rich North Slope Borough to the state’s southern Cook Inlet, where an export terminal would be established. For LNG to be exported from the West Coast, this project would be one of the few options.
State and federal approvals are rare for large-scale LNG projects in the United States, but this one has them. It’s not simple to do, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who has been advocating for the project, told Fox News Digital. A valid exit permit has been issued for it. According to DOE, that is also difficult. Most crucially, it has government-backed loan security. The United States of America has put its complete confidence and credit behind it, making it the first major project in the country to receive such backing.
These are fantastic jobs. This is good news for the economy, American households, Alaskans who now have access to clean-burning gas, our friends who were dependent on Russian oil and gas, and President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party, who are terrified of American energy domination. To which I replied, “This is especially true if we are sending it to Asia,” and he elaborated.
The benefits of the project were discussed in a meeting between Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and senior energy advisor to the State Department Amos Hochstein and Japanese officials in Tokyo in October.
In total, AGDC estimates that the project will create 10,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent employment. On a daily basis, it would transport an average of 3.1 bcf of LNG, most of which would be destined for Alaska. The DOE’s decision, issued on Monday, allows the plant to transport 2.6 bcf of LNG per day.
In 2012, the electric power sector in California, Oregon, and Washington consumed an average of 2.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
I’ve long said that this administration lacks cohesion. “Common sense tells us we’ll be needing energy, and American energy in particular, for decades to come,” Sullivan added. They need to get the word out to more people. But, as you well know, they have to appease their extreme left.
Groups concerned with the environment voiced concern that the project’s approval by the Biden administration will result in a significant rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, has filed a lawsuit against the project. Senior attorney Erin Colón has stated, “The Alaska LNG project is not only unnecessary because we expect a large shift to clean-energy alternatives in the coming years, but it’s also a major threat to Alaska’s ecosystems and climate.”
Colón elaborated, saying, “The state’s greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels would increase by nearly 30% over what they are now, at a time when all other states will be rushing to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.” When we know we need to act fast to avert the climate crisis, it’s frustrating to see the Department of Energy approve a massive fossil fuel infrastructure project.