The Trump administration approved Venture Global’s liquefied natural gas export project in Louisiana more than a year after the project was stalled by a controversial pause on approvals by the Biden administration.

The Department of Energy announced Wednesday morning that Secretary Chris Wright approved the LNG export authorization for the Calcasieu Pass 2 LNG export terminal along the Gulf Coast in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

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“The benefits of expanding U.S. LNG exports have never been more clear, and I am proud to be taking action to support the American people and our allies abroad with more affordable, reliable, secure American energy,” Wright said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are cutting the red tape around projects like CP2, unleashing our energy potential and ensuring the U.S. can continue to meet growing energy demand for decades to come.”

Once built, the project is expected to export up to 3.96 billion cubic per day of LNG and upward of 20 million tons each year. The DOE said exports from the Louisiana terminal would likely provide economic benefits to the United States, diversify global LNG supplies, and improve energy security at home and abroad. 

The approval built on President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day in office, which ordered the restart of the review of applicants for new LNG export project approvals. In the order, Trump urged the energy secretary to restart the reviews “as expeditiously as possible.” 

In January 2024, former President Joe Biden initiated the pause on new LNG export approvals to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S. to conduct a study on LNG exports’ environmental and economic impacts. 

Venture Global’s CP2 LNG project was at the center of discussions when the pause was first put in place, as the company sought approval to build the $10 billion facility that would dramatically increase U.S. exports of LNG. 

Critics accused the administration of imposing the pause to block the project, given the amount of downstream emissions associated with increased exports. 

However, the Biden administration approved a new export authorization application for an LNG project in August 2024 following a judge’s ruling against the pause.

The U.S. has exported LNG since 2016 and is now the largest exporter worldwide. Environmentalists and climate activists have rallied against efforts to increase LNG exports because of the amount of emissions associated with its supply chain. 

Compared to coal, natural gas is generally considered a much cleaner fuel source, as it helps lower carbon emissions in the industry. However, natural gas is primarily made up of methane, which is known for having a stronger impact on atmospheric warming. While methane has a shorter lifespan than carbon dioxide, it is roughly 80 times more potent. Activists have also warned that methane can leak into the atmosphere at any stage of the LNG production, export, and operation processes. 

Still, industry players and conservatives have advocated using LNG to replace coal globally and accelerate the transition to cleaner sources of energy. Venture Global has said its new terminal could replace 33 coal-fired power plants, preventing the release of around 140 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.

In a statement released Wednesday, Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel described the CP2 LNG export project as “vital” for the U.S. economy, global energy security, and trade. 

TRUMP ORDERS RESTART OF NEW LNG EXPORT PERMIT APPROVALS

“We are grateful for the Trump Administration’s return to regular order and regulatory certainty that will allow us to further expand U.S. LNG exports, which have consistently been found to be in the public interest across multiple Administrations,” Sabel said. “This will enable us to provide our allies around the world with American LNG in just a few years and for decades to come.”

Wednesday’s announcement marked the fifth LNG-related approval since the start of the Trump administration.