FCAC calls for Biden administration to include AKLNG in pause of LNG export approvals
On Friday January 26th, the Biden administration announced that they were temporarily halting approvals of LNG exports (after approving AK LNG exports nearly a year ago). This is a major, and long overdue win for grassroots activists across the country who have been putting pressure on the Biden administration and previous administrations to recognize the dangerous impacts of LNG production and consumption. According to the announcement, this move will allow the Department of Energy (DOE) to review their systems for assessing if a project is in the public interest, including an updated review of climate impacts.
Although this decision will not explicitly affect the proposed AKLNG project in the near term, it is an acknowledgement that the current environmental review system is flawed. The AKLNG project environmental review weighed its climate impacts only against other fossil fuel options and not renewable options, thus assessing that the project will have a net benefit to carbon emissions, which is blatantly untrue. We oppose this flawed logic, and we encourage the Biden administration and DOE to expand their review to include the proposed AKLNG project.
While we applaud the Biden administration’s decision, we particularly want to uplift the organizations and individuals who laid the groundwork through years of strategic organizing, advocacy, and legal work. The decision comes a little over six months after The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Environment America, and Friends of the Earth sued the DOE urging them to respond to a petition filed in 2013 to “issue regulations defining whether proposed gas exports are consistent with the public interest.” It also comes amid increasing pressure and escalating action from grassroots organizations and activists across the country aimed at stopping a series of massive proposed LNG projects.
We’re disappointed but not surprised to hear our Alaskan congressional delegation’s objections to the Biden administration decision. We hope that our lawmakers will begin embracing a more forward-looking perspective, rather than continuing to grasp onto the false promises of the dying fossil fuel industry. Meeting the scale of the climate crisis means not prioritizing fossil fuel companies’ profits over the pocketbooks and health of everyday Alaskans. Renewable energy is already cheaper, and will continue to become even more affordable, especially as the Cook Inlet gas crisis drives fossil fuel prices further skyward for Alaskans. Alaskans are ready for affordable, reliable, and clean energy. We’re excited to work with lawmakers who share this vision.
At FCAC, we’re committed to doing what it takes to phase out fossil fuels and bring about a just transition for Alaska. This decision has the potential to impact the future of many projects, including the AKLNG project, but it will require consistent and strategic pressure and action. This is a moment to celebrate, and to recommit to the long-term vision and stamina necessary to bring about the changes we need.
To get involved in fighting the proposed AKLNG project in Alaska, click the link below.
