DAVID BLACKMON: The Defining Scandal Steeping Biden’s Legacy in Controversy

By David Blackmon |

Recent revelations from the Department of Energy (DOE), under former Secretary Jennifer Granholm, highlight troubling practices regarding the U.S. LNG export industry. A 2023 study discovered that increased LNG exports benefit both the economy and the environment, yet it was reportedly suppressed by the Biden administration.

According to a source within the DOE, “former Secretary Granholm and the Biden White House intentionally buried a lot of data and released a skewed study to discredit the benefits of American LNG.” This revelation raises serious questions about the motivations behind the administration’s policies, suggesting a deliberate attempt to mislead the public on energy issues.

The administration’s actions included a “temporary” pause on permitting LNG infrastructure, orchestrated at the direction of climate advisor John Podesta. This pause was backed by Granholm, despite the flimsy rationale and debunked science supporting it. Instead of confronting the complexities of LNG growth honestly, the DOE was tasked with conducting a study that intentionally overlooked existing research.

Concerns driving this pause included fears that rising LNG exports would increase domestic prices and emissions. However, a draft of the 2023 study revealed that increased exports would likely have a negligible impact on consumer prices while contributing to a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. This is largely because U.S. LNG would replace coal in power generation and outcompete gas from more polluting sources such as Russia.

An administration genuinely committed to scientific truth would have shared these findings. Instead, the pause persisted, with implications of making the policy permanent had the election outcomes favored the current administration.

Fortunately, the electoral decisions led to a change in leadership. President Trump pledged to end this policy approach on his first day in office, signaling a commitment to transparency and the revival of America’s energy sector.

Current Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted the significance of these developments during a Fox News interview. He noted, “fifteen years ago, America was the largest importer of natural gas in the world. Today, we’re the largest exporter.” He criticized the previous administration’s pause on LNG exports, underscoring the strategic disadvantage it imposed on the U.S. in global energy markets.

Wright pointed out the irony; the very study that justified increased LNG exports was ignored in policy decisions. He characterized the effort by the Biden administration as detrimental to what he calls “America’s greatest energy advantage.”

This incident not only casts a shadow over the Biden administration’s credibility but also raises concerns about accountability. When asked by Speaker Mike Johnson about signing the order for the LNG pause, President Biden claimed to have no memory of it. This response further complicates the narrative surrounding these decisions.

As the situation develops, the ramifications of this controversy within the energy sector continue to unfold, reflecting both the political and economic stakes involved in energy policy.