States win challenge to Biden administration’s LNG ban

A group of states won a challenge to the Biden administration's ban on liquefied natural gas exports.

President Joe Biden halted all new LNG exports to countries without free trade agreements on Jan. 26. A group of 17 states sued the Biden administration over the move, winning a stay "in its entirety, effective immediately," on Monday. The decision was made by the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana Lake Charles Division.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey hailed the decision as a major victory for the United States's energy industry.

"This is a big win for the country's energy industry and the millions of jobs it supports against the attacks from the Biden administration to further its radical climate change agenda at the expense of our economy," he said. "This administration's Energy Department has no such authority to justify this ban — authority on matters like this lies with Congress and Congress alone."

The court argued that the state coalition had shown "evidence of harm," with the impact being felt mostly from West Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana. The harm included the "loss of revenues, market share, and deprivation of a procedural right."

The U.S. is the world's largest LNG exporter, with exports in 2023 alone equaling 86 metric tons.

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The Biden administration put a halt on exports over environmental concerns, concerns that were put under scrutiny following the decision. The Berkeley Research Group found in a study that LNG is significantly cleaner than most of the alternative fuels available in Europe, meaning the halt on exports was arguably more harmful to the environment.

Biden's halt came after intense pressure from environmental activists and some Democrats in Congress, who voiced concerns over methane emissions.