Merkley speaks at a September climate rally. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Fury over U.S. liquified natural gas exports is fueling an end to the Biden administration's peace with Democratic climate hawks.
Why it matters: Democrats on the Hill largely held back from wide-ranging climate criticism of the Biden administration in light of the IRA, even after approval of the Willow oil project and the Mountain Valley Pipeline. No longer.
Driving the news: A cadre of Democrats led by Sen. Jeff Merkley sent a letter this month to the Energy Department requesting that it formally reconsider whether exports of liquefied natural gas — often a product of fracking — are "in the public interest."
- The U.S. last year became the world's largest exporter of natural gas, and several new export terminals are under consideration for federal approval.
- Merkley told Axios Wednesday that the administration's willingness to let U.S. gas exports grow "deeply undermines our leadership in the world for climate policy."
- "If you greenlight more drilling in the Gulf and more gas pipelines in Alaska and LNG export facilities and the Willow project in the North Slope and the Mountain Valley Pipeline … you're just paving the way for climate oblivion."
DOE spokeswoman Charisma Troiano provided a statement to Axios saying the agency has "taken steps to further its environmental reviews in all" approvals for LNG exports to countries without a free trade agreement.
- That's "including directly considering the impacts of natural gas production and greenhouse gas emissions," Troiano said. The statement didn't address Merkley's letter.
What they're saying: "It's not only a policy contradiction that I don't know how you explain at the highest levels, but if anything, we're going backwards or stagnant in the battle to make the reductions," said House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva, who signed Merkley's letter.
Between the lines: Democrats are getting louder amid boisterous climate activism in which protesters interrupt events featuring lawmakers and Biden officials.
- Notable disruptions include Fed chair Jerome Powell's derailed speech last month and Sen. Amy Klobuchar's interrupted talk in May on her book "The Joy of Politics."
- Just Wednesday, individuals helped derail a Pete Buttigieg event at Michigan State University. Activists have started calling him "Petro Pete," as his Transportation Department also oversees some export approval decisions.
Behind much of this is Climate Defiance, a group opposed to more LNG exports that has won plaudits with the left as well as celebrities.
- The group seems to have hit a nerve. Along with securing a meeting with White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, Climate Defiance founder Michael Greenberg told Axios that climate czar John Podesta committed to a sit-down before the end of the year during a coincidental run-in on the Metro.
- "He called Climate Defiance 'a pain in the ass,'" Greenberg said. "He said it in a half-joking, judging appreciation."
- Greenberg believes his group's activities have a real impact on the Hill too, after Klobuchar — who has drawn heat from environmentalists over her Enbridge Line 3 pipeline stances — voted against MVP in the debt deal.
The other side: The White House confirmed that Greenberg and Podesta met on the Metro and didn't contest Greenberg's characterization of the exchange.
- "President Biden has been clear that climate change is the existential threat of our time. That's why the president has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate agenda in history," White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement.
What we're watching: COP28 talks on global methane reduction, as the ultra-potent greenhouse gas has perhaps the most devastating warming impact from LNG production.
