Energy Department gives first final LNG approval under Trump

• It's the first final approval under President Trump, though his DOE has provided conditional authorizations in several cases, including Venture Global's big planned CP2 project in Louisiana.
• Trump officials have reversed a late Biden-era pause on new authorizations.

"Port Arthur LNG Phase II marks a significant expansion of the first phase already under construction — turning more of the liquid gold beneath our feet into energy security for the American people," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement on Sempra Energy's project.

• Phase I of Sempra Energy's project is slated to begin exports in 2027, DOE said.

Catch up quick: U.S. LNG growth continued under President Biden and the country became the world's largest exporter. But late in his term DOE issued the pause.

The bottom line: Trump 2.0 is very keen on LNG.

• But with exports already rising, the number of new projects ultimately built will depend on how companies size up long-term demand.
• One thing to watch is how much President Trump keeps using U.S. LNG as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations.