Trump DOE reduces regulations for using liquified natural gas as marine fuel
Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday allowed the use of liquified natural gas as marine fuel, reducing regulations on LNG to power boats, something approved by the Biden administration.
It does away with an oversight order issued to Florida-based JAX LNG by the Biden administration.
"Today's action is a significant step in reducing regulatory burdens and helping this important segment of the LNG market continue to grow," said Tala Goudarzi of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management in a statement.
The Biden administration regulation rolled back by Friday's DOE action gave DOE authority to regulate LNG bunkering. Bunkering is storing LNG on ships, then transferring the fuel at sea.
The DOE statement Friday said, "The modified order clarifies that DOE is withdrawing the exercise of its jurisdiction under the Natural Gas Act for ship-to-ship transfers of LNG for marine fuel use at a U.S. port, in U.S. waters, or in international waters."
President Donald Trump solicited $1 billion from fossil fuel executives for his 2024 campaign, promising them he would roll back fossil fuel regulations if they contributed.
That prompted Senate Democrats to launch an inquiry to determine whether or not Trump's promise to Big Oil was an illegal quid pro quo.
The LNG action is just one small part of an effort by Trump to reverse climate actions to limit fossil fuel emissions.
Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law's Climate Tracker documents 45 Trump administration actions in its first two months in office to reverse federal climate change mitigation efforts.
This LNG marine fuel regulation rollback is consistent with the overall Trump "drill, baby drill" policy of boosting fossil fuel while denying climate change.
Those policies range from withdrawing from the Paris Climate accords, cutting more than 1,000 employees from the Environmental Protection Administration to pausing EV by freezing $3 billion in funding for expanding charging stations nationwide.
Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright is a Big Oil executive with no prior government experience.
According to records, Wright donated money to Trump's presidential campaigns.
The League of Conservation Voters called Wright a "climate-denying Big Oil executive."
The LCV said in Nov. 2024 that with Wright's nomination, "Trump is following through on the $1 billion offer he made to Big Oil at a dinner this spring."
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