When the Biden administration announced its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export moratorium, it was seen as a boon for environmentalists in an election year. That gift, however, may end up hurting Biden in the important swing state of Pennsylvania.
A new poll released by Axis Research and the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance (PEIA) shows 58 percent of Pennsylvania voters disagree with the LNG moratorium, including 57 percent of Democrats and independent voters.
And 41 percent said the ban makes it less likely they will vote for Biden in November.
Polls currently show Pennsylvania is neck-and-neck in a two-candidate race between Biden and likely Republican nominee Donald Trump. When potential third-party candidates are factored in, Trump leads Biden by at least four points.
Biden said during his LNG pause announcement in January that he “sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.”
Pennsylvania voters don’t agree. The Axis/PEIA poll found only three percent of the 601 people surveyed see climate change as “the most important for Pennsylvania to focus on.” Twenty percent said the economy was most important, while 31 percent noted the high cost of living.
Almost half said they support LNG exports in general. A whopping 75 percent said LNG exports should be increased because of the $73 billion that could go into the U.S. economy. Another 73 percent agreed LNG exports should be increased because 453,000 U.S. jobs could be created.
Both of Pennsylvania’s Democrat U.S. senators broke with Biden on the LNG export moratorium. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman sent a letter to the administration last month defending the energy industry because it “created good-paying energy jobs in towns and communities across the Commonwealth and has played a critical role in promoting U.S. energy independence.”
The numbers reflect the importance of LNG to the Keystone State’s economy. Pennsylvania is the second-largest natural gas-producing state, behind only Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It’s also the second-largest net supplier of total energy to other states, behind Texas. That’s thanks to the gas-rich Marcellus Shale region.
“This poll demonstrates the fact Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support an all-the-above clean energy approach,” said PEIA spokesman Kurt Knaus. “President Biden’s LNG moratorium stands in stark contrast with the view of the Commonwealth, with 68 percent of voters supporting increased investment in natural gas.”
The poll also showed Pennsylvanians believe it’s important to supply allies with LNG to stop Europe’s energy crisis. Russia drastically lowered its LNG exports to the European Union in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. exports of LNG jumped 119 percent to Europe in 2022. Germany, Great Britain, France, The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain were the biggest purchasers of U.S. LNG.
Those exports may have been made easier with a new LNG export terminal in the Delaware Valley. Although a bipartisan task force wanted to bring the terminal to the Chester waterfront, it faced opposition from locals, including new Chester Mayor Stefan Roots.
Biden’s LNG export pause put the kibosh on the terminal proposal, which had yet to enter the permitting process. It would have brought billions of dollars in new economic activity and created thousands of jobs, according to the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association.
“LNG is cleaner than coal and lifts up our local economies, we must continue to export and invest in reliable energy resources,” Knaus said.
