The Department of Energy has issued a permit to export liquefied natural gas to countries without a free trade agreement, the first time it has done so since the White House paused such LNG approvals in January.
The authorization forNew Fortress Energy’s project near Altamira, Mexico, over the Labor Day weekend drew fire from advocacy and environmental groups who say projected growth in LNG is a threat to meeting climate goals. Non-FTA authorizations are key for the industry’s growth as the United States does not have comprehensive free trade agreements in effect with the majority of countries.
The Altamira terminal — which reexports U.S.-sourced gas — started LNG production in mid-July.
In the 47-page order, DOE said while the project is already authorized to export gas at maximum capacity to countries that have a free trade agreement with the United States, it was providing “[New Fortress Energy] Altamira with the flexibility to export this LNG to non-FTA countries too.”
