Merkley Leads New Bill to Prevent LNG Exports from Raising Costs on American Households, Businesses

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley-a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee-introduced new legislation that would lower prices for American households by ensuring new liquefied fossil gas (also known as LNG) exports will not result in higher costs for families and businesses.

The Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act clarifies it is not in the public interest for the U.S. Department of Energy to approve the export of LNG from new terminals if it raises prices on consumers. As Americans continue to struggle under the weight of raising energy prices, additional LNG exports will worsen the problem by causing greater price instability and higher costs for American households and industries.

"In the face of soaring energy prices-which are making the cost of just about everything jump and straining communities nationwide-we need to keep energy affordable," said Merkley. "Increasing LNG exports is driving up utility bills for consumers, and my legislation prioritizes helping American families crushed by soaring energy prices, not Big Oil's profits."

This week, Merkley led the charge to take on the energy affordability crisis harming families nationwide. He introduced new legislation to repeal President Trump's executive orders attacking solar and wind, while the President continues to favor fossil fuels projects.

The Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act is endorsed by the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Earthjustice, Public Citizen, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Oil Change International.

"We cannot address energy affordability in our country without ensuring the Department of Energy considers price impacts on US consumers when making decisions around methane gas exports, also known as LNG. Sierra Club is grateful to Senator Merkley for introducing this bill that will prevent the Department of Energy from approving LNG export projects that would raise our energy prices while also ensuring the agency considers the full impacts of gas export emissions along the supply chain," said Claire Dorner, Associate Director, Legislative & Administrative Advocacy, Beyond Dirty Fuels at Sierra Club.

"Oil and gas CEOs are making record profits, while hardworking families are struggling to make ends meet," said Leah Donahey, LCV Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director. "It's about time Congress made clear that billionaire CEOs should not get a free pass to export more of our country's energy at the expense of hardworking families' health and pocketbooks."

"Record exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) have contributed to higher utility bill burdens for American families. It is essential to prioritize the public interest review of LNG exports to ensure they are not resulting in higher energy bills for consumers. We strongly support Sen. Merkley's common sense reform to protect energy affordability for American families," said Tyson Slocum, Energy Program Director, Public Citizen.

"LNG exports increase gas prices and pollution," said Audrey Leonard, Staff Attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper. "Common-sense cost considerations demonstrate that LNG is not in the public interest."

"We applaud Senator Merkley's legislation to put working families-not fossil fuel corporations-at the center of U.S. energy policy. As households struggle with rising energy costs caused by Trump's war on Iran and his giveaways to his fossil fuel donors, this bill would help protect communities from toxic fossil fuel pollution and climate disasters associated with liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. We urge every senator who cares about reigning in the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis to support Sen. Merkley's bill," said Allie Rosenbluth, US Campaigns Manager, Oil Change International.

Full text of the Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act can be found by clicking here.

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