News that the Department of Energy (DOE) may pause authorizations for new LNG export projects has stirred reactions from industry groups and environmentalists alike, but what does it mean for domestic and global natural gas supply outlooks?

The New York Times was the first to report Wednesday that the Biden administration has directed DOE to review climate impacts of new liquefied natural gas export projects, potentially delaying authorizations until after the November elections. 

The initial headlines focused on Venture Global LNG Inc.’s CP2 project, one of the largest proposed projects with long-term offtake contracts in place. CP2 is not yet approved by DOE to export gas worldwide, i.e. to countries without free trade agreements (FTA). Venture’s role as a potential gas...