Ted Cruz legislation would ease LNG exports

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has reintroduced yet another bill to support the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. 
Cruz on Monday reintroduced the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act, which would expedite the federal approval process for exporting liquefied natural gas. He first introduced it in 2021 and again in 2023 as the Biden administration took more than 200 actions against the industry, including halting permits and banning LNG exports. 
“Increasing U.S. energy exports is good for America, and there is no bigger energy producer than the state of Texas,” Cruz told The Center Square. The legislation he has proposed now for the third time “expedites permits for LNG exporters to ensure that Texas-produced gas can be sent to our allies around the world. It will enhance American energy dominance, create jobs, and drive investment.”
He did so as the industry in his home state continues to break multiple production and methane emissions reduction records, The Center Square first reported. 
The U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas in 2017 for the first time since 1957, led by Texas and Louisiana “primarily because of increased LNG exports,” according to the EIA.
If Texas were its own country, it would be the world’s third-largest producer of natural gas and the fourth-largest producer of oil. In the first half of 2022, the U.S. became the world’s largest LNG exporter, led by Texas and Louisiana, according to EIA data.