US not considering gas export ban, official says

The U.S. is not considering a ban on exporting liquified natural gas (LNG) to other countries, a Biden official said Wednesday, despite a push from some Democrats to curb exports of the fuel. 

Asked during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing whether an export ban was on the table, Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk said, “An export ban, either on the LNG side or on the oil side, is not something we’re currently discussing and under consideration.”

His comment comes after other administration officials have said they’re not planning to ban exports on crude oil — a solution that has been pushed by several Democrats to tamp down gasoline prices, since gasoline is made from oil. 

But, some have also said they want to limit or stop exports of natural gas. Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) last month introduced legislation that would ban both crude oil and natural gas exports — though the legislation is unlikely to be taken up.

During the same hearing, when asked about banning LNG exports, Turk gave a general answer. 

“We’re looking at the full range of what you all are giving us to look at,” he said. 

But when asked about this, the Energy Department pointed The Hill to Turk’s remarks stating that such a ban is currently not under consideration.

Most of the country’s natural gas is used for home heating and electricity generation.