A ray of hope from Washington DC - March 25

[dan_s]

This is going to piss off AOC's Gang of Idiots

Sen. Manchin launches new push for ‘all of the above’ energy bill. Washington Post.
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) has restarted talks with fellow Democrats about reviving the party’s climate and social spending bill, according to two people familiar with the matter, as administration officials search for oil and gas policies that could make the measure more palatable to him. Manchin, who has traveled in the past week with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, has told staff members and colleagues that the legislation must be voted on before senators leave town in August, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

Key regulator makes concession for natural gas as Russia-sparked U.S. energy and climate concerns fester. E&E News.
As the U.S. and other Western nations consider the future of energy, climate change and Russia’s influence on global oil and gas markets, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday changed the status of two recent policy statements on natural gas pipelines and infrastructure in a nod to the energy industry. One energy and renewables industry lobbyist, Frank Maisano, principal with Bracewell LLP’s Policy Resolution Group, called the decision an “abrupt about-face.” FERC voted unanimously to solicit input and consider changes to its revamped policy statements that brought additional climate and environmental justice scrutiny to new fossil fuel projects and pushed back when such considerations will be put in motion, a mostly favorable change for the industry. Note: MarketWatch, Washington Examiner and Politico also report.

Biden increases LNG exports as Europe faces energy crisis. E&E News.
The White House announced this morning that the U.S. will rapidly increase exports of liquefied natural gas to Europe as Germany and other E.U. nations try to diminish their dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The move will ramp up LNG shipments carried by seagoing tankers by 15 billion cubic meters this year, according to a fact sheet released by the White House. As a comparison, the United States sent 22 bcm of LNG to Europe last year, the highest ever traded between the two continents. The announcement promises to raise concerns about the trajectory of global climate action. The construction of LNG terminals and other infrastructure could put the U.S. and other nations on a path toward using gas for years to come, even as those countries strive to phase out fossil fuels, advocates warn. Note: Barron’s and the Irish Independent also report.

Natural gas industry awaiting Biden LNG news, swifter project approvals. NGI.
The natural gas market was awaiting word from President Biden on Thursday on plans to direct additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to European Union (EU) countries to curb their dependence on Russian gas imports. President Biden reportedly was due to make an announcement Friday during his trip to Europe. The president was in Europe to coordinate with allies “on all aspects of our response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, including imposing further severe costs on those enabling President Putin’s war of choice,” the White House said. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters on Thursday that with regard to increasing LNG supply to Europe, “I’m going to allow the president to make that announcement, and that [will] be soon. With respect to oil supplies, we have called for an increase in our domestic oil supplies.”

Biden's careful embrace of U.S. gas for Europe. Axios.
The White House is looking to thread a policy needle by embracing more U.S. liquefied natural gas shipments to Europe while insisting it's not backing off its commitment to fighting climate change. On Friday, U.S. and European leaders announced a task force focused on helping to cut the EU's heavy reliance on Russian fossil fuels and boosting clean energy. The broad outline calls for U.S. work with "international partners" to find another 15 billion cubic meters of LNG this year. Longer term, it calls for "additional" EU imports of roughly 50 bcm annually of U.S. LNG until at least 2030. However, it does not define what "additional" means with respect to existing volumes. "I know that eliminating Russian gas will have costs for Europe, but it's not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint, it's going to put us on a much stronger strategic footing," Biden said Friday morning.