Louisiana and 15 other Republican-led states have asked a federal court to stop the Biden administration from enforcing its moratorium on new liquefied natural gas export approvals.
In a motion filed Thursday night in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, the states said the Department of Energy’s pause will cause them “substantial and irreparable injuries” and should be reversed immediately.
“Plaintiff States are substantially likely to prevail on the merits of their claims, and a stay or preliminary injunction is necessary,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) wrote in the motion.
DOE announced in January that it would halt new approvals of LNG export projects to non-free-trade-agreement countries so that the agency could study the climate and economic impact of shipping the supercooled gas. LNG produces less carbon dioxide than coal, but it also emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
