Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025
Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025 would fundamentally shift who regulates and approves facilities that export or import natural gas (including LNG terminals). The bill would strip out the current subsections of the Natural Gas Act and place exclusive authority with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny applications for siting, construction, expansion, or operation of facilities that export or import natural gas. It would also require that, in making those decisions, FERC deem the export or import of natural gas to be in the public interest. At the same time, the bill preserves other federal laws and authorities (e.g., sanctions authorities) and clarifies that nothing in the act limits the President’s power to impose sanctions or other restrictions under various laws. In short, the measure is designed to streamline and centralize regulatory approval for LNG projects and related export/import activities, potentially accelerating domestic LNG development and expanding U.S. leadership in global gas supply.
Key Points
- 1Centralization of approval: FERC becomes the exclusive federal regulator to approve or deny all applications for exporting natural gas from the U.S. (including LNG terminals) and for importing natural gas, effectively removing competing regulatory pathways.
- 2Public-interest presumption: When evaluating an export/import project, FERC would deem the activity to be in the public interest, removing some of the balance-of-harms considerations that often arise in siting decisions.
- 3Regulatory reorganization: The bill reworks the Natural Gas Act by striking prior subsections and redesignating others to implement the FERC-centric framework, while preserving existing federal agency authorities outside this act.
- 4Preserved sanctions authorities: The President’s power to sanction foreign persons or governments under statutes such as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and related laws remains intact and explicitly protected.
- 5Scope and limitations: The act states that, except as provided, other federal laws governing LNG facilities remain in effect; the policy shift is primarily about who decides on LNG export/import projects and how those decisions are framed (public-interest deeming).