It’s been a tough couple of weeks for liquefied natural gas export enthusiasts. Awww. So sad!

Earlier this month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unanimously voted to suspend its approval of Calcasieu Pass 2, a controversial LNG plant planned for construction on the Louisiana Coast. Until an air quality impact assessment is conducted, the project is dead in the water.

The decision follows months of advocacy and pushback from community groups, frontline residents, environmental nonprofit organizations, and CANdoers. LNG plants have already wrought havoc on the Gulf Coast, harming local ecosystems, contributing to pollution, and disrupting the fishing industry. They weren’t about to let it happen again.

The industry suffered a significant blow earlier this year when the Biden Administration decided to pause the issuing of new permits for export terminals.  A study by Dr. Robert Howarth, a CAN Action Party speaker, helped shape this decision by showing just that LNG is worse than coal.

It confirmed something many people already knew: LNG is a climate powder keg about to explode.

In just one year, CP2 alone would release as much CO2 equivalent as almost 2 million new gas cars on the road. If the industry expanded at its desired rate, the associated climate harms would soon be on par with the entirety of Europe’s climate damages. And the more LNG we ship overseas, the more prices will go up for American consumers who still rely on natural gas.

But that’s why the FERC decision is such great news. Thanks to them, the Biden Administration’s pause, and climate advocacy efforts all over the country, these companies are facing over a year of project delays and additional financing costs. That’s over a year in which renewables have experienced exponential growth and become cheaper, both domestically and globally.

The Department of Energy is also on track to release a report before the end of the year. This report will examine the science and economics of LNG exports and determine whether they are in the public’s best interest.

We already know they aren’t. However, an official report with strong numerical and economic arguments against LNG will be a powerful tool in legal battles over the next four years.

So let’s urge the Biden Administration to release that report!