Speaker of the House Dade Phelan announced on X the creation of the House Selection Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports. The Speaker noted creation of the committee is in response to the federal government’s decision to pause pending approvals of LNG export projects. The proclamation establishing the committee can be found here. The committee is created to conduct a comprehensive review of the impacts on Texas and Texans of the Biden Administration’s executive action imposing a temporary pause on pending decisions on export permits for the sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-free trade agreement countries. The committee will submit an initial report to the legislature by May 13, 2024. Their report shall include the following:
- Analyzing the applicable legal authorities under which the federal action was taken, including the Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 717 to 717z), and the Administrative Procedure Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. §§ 551-559);
- Assessing the potential economic, environmental, and social impacts of such federal action on the state;
- Identifying strategies to mitigate all adverse effects on the LNG industry. Texas’s energy sector. and the state’s economy as a whole; and
- Formulating recommendations for legislative, policy. or other remedial actions to address the challenges posed by the federal suspension of LNG export permits
Committee Members:
- Jared Patterson, Chair
- Brooks Landgraf
- Christian Manuel
- Mary Ann Perez
- Cody Vasut