Pipeline manifold of gas wells with a drilling rig in the background. (Shutterstock/Vladimir Endovitskiy)

LNG Exports Are an Economic and National Security Asset. Don’t Limit Them

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The shale revolution made LNG a strategic asset—policy should expand supply, not constrain America’s energy advantage.

If you ask the average person what the biggest technology breakthrough since the turn of the century has been, the smartphone is a safe bet for the most common answer. Recency bias could lead to some artificial intelligence (AI) responses. Unless you’re in the business or completely fixated with Landman, it’s unclear how many folks are saying the Shale Revolution. 

Yet, the development of smart drilling turned America into an energy powerhouse, lowered energy bills for families and businesses, and strengthened America’s geopolitical leverage by becoming the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Politics and policy have already gotten in the way of maximizing America’s energy advantage. We shouldn’t let it happen again. 

Liquified Natural Gas by the Numbers 

The numbers behind the shale boom and resulting LNG exports are nothing short of astounding. In 2009, the US surpassed Russia to become the world’s largest natural gas producer. America now produces roughly 40 percent morenatural gas than Russia, and if the top three US basins were countries, they would rank among the top 10 producers. As a result, households have saved significantly on their energy bills. Because energy is required for nearly everything we make and do, economy-wide analyses have consistently found that total household savings of $1,000 or more per year.

At the same time, exports grew significantly, driving economic growth domestically and........

© The National Interest