Marks: Lifting Biden’s LNG pause will boost American energy jobs and the economy

Writing in the Washington Times, Retired Major General Spider Marks highlights how President Trump’s decision to reverse the Biden administration’s liquified natural gas (LNG) pause will be a boon for American jobs and local economies. The reversal allows the Department of Energy to restore regular operations after four years of extreme policy restrictions. Trump’s pro-energy policies will create more jobs and economic growth, reinforcing national security.

When the Biden administration paused new LNG export permits indefinitely in January 2024, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers referred to it as a “gift to Putin.” As Marks notes, this policy weakened America’s ability to support European and Ukrainian energy independence, forcing America’s allies to rely on Russian gas. Similarly, he says, key LNG projects —including Calcasieu Pass 2, Delfin LNG, and Lake Charles LNG—were halted, leaving employees uncertain and slowing progress on critical infrastructure.

Maj. Gen. Marks writes, “with Mr. Trump back in office, American natural gas companies can have confidence that their projects will receive proper consideration,” allowing the U.S. to fulfill its commitments to our allies abroad. Although the permits were paused over the last year of the Biden administration, American firms still stepped up, shipping LNG to Germany and Ukraine, whose energy economies bore the brunt of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Marks concludes by reinforcing just how vital our domestic LNG industry is. With global demand for natural gas expected to rise, expanding U.S. LNG infrastructure will be vital. A new study projects that U.S. LNG export capacity will double in five years, finding that “exports of U.S. LNG would support roughly a half-million domestic jobs annually over the next 15 years,” and “contribute about $1.3 trillion to the nation’s gross domestic product through 2040,” Marks writes.

By lifting the LNG pause, President Trump is delivering on his promise to prioritize American energy, ensuring economic prosperity at home while strengthening global alliances.