Should We Export US Gas?
Posted at 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2012
The rapid utilization of shale gas in the United States is set to swell national production for years, and now the Wall Street Journal reports that “the Department of Energy is set to issue a much delayed—and politically charged—review that bears on America’s manufacturing future: What’s the effect of exporting more of the new U.S. gas bonanza?”
“Dow burns a lot of natural gas in its plants, and it is part of a slice of U.S. industry that believes it’s too soon to be exporting more energy… Only after America’s competitive position is secure, they say, should we consider exporting the raw commodity… A lot of companies—especially ones drilling for gas and oil—disagree with this and want to open the export floodgates.”
“The Department of Energy is considering a number of new requests to build export facilities that would liquefy natural gas for export abroad. Its imminent report is expected to look at the economic effects of larger exports… The tricky part, though, is determining what demand may eventually be. Rock-bottom gas prices are already fueling a surge of new manufacturing activity in the U.S.”
