As LNG Exports Show, ARC-ES Is Crucial for U.S. and International Energy Stability for Years to Come

The far-left (formerly mainstream) media is more than happy to provide a megaphone for such claims. Story after story echoes the propaganda that the world is on the verge of an “alternatives” utopia, where all our needs are meant by the wafting breezes and gentle sunlight of a perfect summer day.

For the less gullible, reality is still discoverable by venturing outside the pie-in-the-sky bubble of the daydream believers. Consider, for instance, this recent development regarding the exporting of liquified natural gas, as reported in various energy and business outlets.

“Gaztransport &Technigaz SA increased its projection for LNG carrier gas containment system design orders to approximately 550 units for the 2026-2035 period, up from a prior estimate of more than 450, the French engineering firm said in its first-half earnings statement on Tuesday,” StreetInsider reported in late July.

“The upward revision stems from accelerated investment in liquefaction capacity, particularly in the US, according to GTT Chief Executive Officer Francois Michel. Final investment decisions were made on 84 million tons per year of new LNG capacity last year, followed by another 37 million tons in the first half of this year. An additional 29 million tons of projects received a limited notice to proceed during the same period, he said.”

And get this: Shipyards in South Korea and China are benefitting from new LNG export terminal projects taking shape in the U.S., Qatar and other places “as Asian gas consumption increases.” The story notes that President Trump “has been promoting increased exports of the fuel to the continent.”

“We have no sign of slowdown in investment in LNG,” Michel said.

Natural gas is a popular energy source because it is easily liquefied for transport across land or sea and then, upon reaching its destination, warmed back into gas for transfer by pipeline to homes and businesses.

The United States has profited from being a major producer of natural gas thanks to the shale gas boom and development and perfection of fracking technologies. The U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of LNG, growing from 0.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2016 to about 15 billion cubic feet each day last year. That number is projected to rise to 18 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 – all amid the “renewables revolution.”

Media reports would have us believe that Europe is leading the way into the brave new world of power generated by wind gusts and sunny days. But guess where most U.S. gas exports are landing?

That’s right – Europe. Last year, about 10 billion cubic feet per day went to Europe, while about 3 billion cubic feet per day landed in Asia (the rest went to a variety of other destinations).

If “renewables” are doing the job, why is more LNG being purchased? Because if there’s one thing governments, businesses and households need more than to be politically correct, it’s to have reliable and affordable service on demand – and nothing delivers that result better than natural gas.

Even many advocates of “renewables” grudgingly admit that natural gas is a necessary component to balance energy outputs and come to the rescue when alternatives fail. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory “deemed natural gas the most reliable and cost-effective method to fill the gaps left behind by intermittent wind and solar,” as reported by EnergyInDepth.

The study found that “natural gas would provide a significant amount of energy during these net peak loads where wind, solar, and storage provide less than 50 percent total capacity.”

In other words, just as they did last year when a massive power failure crippled Spain, Portugal and parts of France – an event many blamed on the imbalance of alternatives – governments and power companies depend on natural gas to turn the lights back on when “renewables” struggle to, well, renew.

The United States’ growing importance as an LNG exporter is one more reason to codify our most reliable and affordable energy source into official policy and law. Passage of the Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy Security Act (ARC-ES) would guarantee that climate change crusaders, if temporarily handed the keys to state or local governments, would find it difficult or impossible to craft rules or legislation curtailing the use or extraction of natural gas or other hydrocarbons.

As demonstrated by the United States’ importance as an LNG exporter, rolling back the Trump administration’s energy-friendly policies would not only have negative impacts on domestic power needs, but would also lead to destabilizing the energy security of numerous international partners who are increasingly relying on the U.S. for backup fuel for years to come.

Codifying ARC-ES at both the state and federal levels is crucial to the energy security of the U.S. and much of the rest of the world.

What are we waiting for?

Gary Abernathy is a longtime newspaper editor, reporter and columnist. He was a contributing columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023 and a frequent guest analyst across numerous media platforms. He is a contributing opinion columnist for The Empowerment Alliance, which advocates for realistic approaches to energy consumption and environmental conservation.