Palmetto State News

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-Texas) have issued a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for basing its decision to halt liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports on what they call a flawed study. The Howarth study labeled LNG as "worse than coal," which influenced the administration's decision.

Senator Scott remarked, "The two words the Biden-Harris administration hates most are ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’—two things the American people deserve from their government. From the very beginning, it was clear that there was never any real basis for pausing LNG exports earlier this year; it was always about politics. The American people deserve better, and they need answers as to how much influence a flawed, biased study had on the administration’s decision-making."

Congressman Pfluger added, "The Biden-Harris Administration has used every tool in their arsenal to attack American energy production, including relying on a flawed study to shut down LNG exports—endangering energy security for the U.S. and our allies. President Biden and Vice President Harris must answer for their political targeting of the Permian Basin."

In their letter, Scott and Pfluger questioned how the Department of Energy relied on Robert Howarth's study titled “The Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exported from the United States” when justifying its January 26, 2024 moratorium on LNG export project approvals. They noted that the Howarth study had been published before peer review and revised multiple times under pressure from climate activists.

They referenced a July 2024 review by the non-partisan Breakthrough Institute titled “A Major Paper on Liquified Natural Gas Emissions Is Riddled with Errors.” This review identified significant errors in Howarth's assumptions, methodology, and conclusions. It pointed out that Howarth used incorrect data regarding natural gas sources, leakage rates, shipping distances, and employed an "incontrovertibly flawed methodology" to calculate LNG's climate impact.

Joining Scott and Pfluger in signing the letter were Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), along with Representatives Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Judge Carter (R-Texas), Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Harriet M. Hageman (R-Wyo.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Kay Granger (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Mike Rulli (R-Ohio), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Richard Hudson (N.C.), Dan Crenshaw (Texas), Nathaniel Moran Texas), Joe Wilson S.C., Aaron Bean Fla., Claudia Tenney N.Y., Mike Kelly Pa., John Joyce M.D. Pa., Michael C. Burgess M.D Texas , Troy Nehls Texas , Mike Carey Ohio , Chuck Fleischmann Tenn., Rudy Yakym III Ind.

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