On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., teamed up with U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., to unveil a proposal allowing more small-scale natural gas exportation.
Rubio and Cassidy introduced the “Small Scale LNG Access Act” to codify a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) rule allowing small-scale natural gas exportation to consumers who are mostly based in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Florida and the nation would benefit under this legislation, Rubio said, noting that last year the U.S. exported around three billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the region. Rubio pointed to statistics from the Energy Information Administration which shows the U.S. has around 2,355 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas which should last almost a century. By cutting red tape and costs, Rubio and Cassidy insisted the economy would benefit with potential growth of 4-5 percent a year in exports while helping ensure Caribbean and Latin America nations do not rely on the Maduro regime for oil.
“Expedited approval of small-scale natural gas exports would strengthen an emerging sector of Florida’s economy,” said Rubio. “In addition to the economic advantages for Florida, this measure would bolster our existing ties with Caribbean and Latin American nations while ensuring that bad actors in the region, including Cuba and Venezuela, do not reap its benefits.”
Cassidy said the proposal would help his home state as well.
“This bill promotes the growth of American natural gas, creating well-paying jobs with good benefits for hardworking families in Louisiana,” said Cassidy. “The faster approval of small-scale natural gas shipments will create American jobs, improve Caribbean energy security and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S House.
