OPINION:
It was just over a year ago Russia invaded Ukraine, and geopolitical instability broke out across the world. Russia quickly weaponized energy, limiting gas supplies to Europe to historic lows before explosions rocked the Baltic Sea, cutting off access from Nord Stream 1 and 2 in what is agreed to have been an act of sabotage.
Europe was facing a record-cold winter and on the brink of a very real energy crisis. Who did Europe turn to in this time of crisis? The world’s energy superpower, of course. American-made, clean-burning natural gas came to the rescue, keeping millions of homes heated and with power in the form of liquified natural gas (LNG).
We know that just one shipment of LNG heats a million homes for a month. Our friends at Cheniere should be celebrated for coming to the aid of Europe last winter, accounting for hundreds of shipments of exported LNG from that single company. Many other American companies participated as well. It was American-made LNG that got Europe through it.
Fast-forward to today and President Biden has slowed down the process of pending approvals of LNG exports. Nobody can figure out why he would take these actions.
This is a message to our allies that you can’t rely on America. This is a policy that puts America last. Actions like this prevent America from coming to the rescue of our allies today or in the future, thereby empowering Russia once again and harming Americans and American oil and gas producers by stopping the free market.
American-made natural gas helps to insulate Americans from growing global instability by providing LNG and helping to ensure our own national security and that of our allies.
Natural gas is one of our most valuable resources in America. And it’s one of the most valuable resources we can export to our allies. It has the added benefit of meeting all climate goals for lowering carbon intensity. Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel that is displacing much of the denser fuels such as wood and coal. We know this in America. No country has reduced its CO2 emissions in the last two decades more than the United States. And that is a direct result of abundant, clean-burning natural gas. You want to make a real impact on air quality around the world? Hold countries like China and India accountable for the coal they’re burning – and export our American LNG success story to the rest of the world – don’t limit it.
When lives are at stake, it is imperative to speak up and bring common sense and reality back to the political dialogue once again. To quote Voltaire, “Common sense is not so common.”
• Harold Hamm is Founder and Executive Chairman of Continental Resources, Chairman of the Hamm Institute for American Energy, Best-Selling Author of Game Changer: Our 50-Year Mission to Secure America’s Energy Independence, and led the industry in pioneering Horizontal Drilling.
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