Republican-led states sue Biden administration over LNG export freeze, citing economic harm and legal violations.

Twenty-three Republican-led states are launching a legal case against the Biden administration’s decision to halt overseas shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by temporarily suspending LNG exports. The attorneys general of Louisiana, Texas, and other states accuse the administration of a “surprise freeze” that harms the economy and jeopardizes national security. They argue that Congress has not authorized the Department of Energy to issue such a freeze and violate the Natural Gas Act, which requires DOE to approve LNG export applications to non-Free Trade Agreement nations unless the agency determines the shipments are not in the public interest. The states also argue that the pause violates notice-and-comment requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act and protections against unreasonable regulatory delays. While the LNG pause only applies to pending export applications, it is expected to impact existing projects.