Barack Obama told European leaders today that the US could provide all of the natural gas Europe needs on a daily basis.
“The United States is blessed with some additional energy from sources that have been developed in part due to new technologies. And, we already licensed, uh, authorized the export of as much natural gas each day as Europe uses each day.”
What he didn’t tell Europe is that the gas exports will not be available for several years.
According to The New York Times the US does not export any natural gas but may do so in the future.
The United States does not yet export its natural gas. But the Energy Department has begun to issue permits to American companies to export natural gas starting in 2015. American companies have submitted 21 applications to build port facilities in the United States to export liquefied natural gas by tanker. The agency has approved six of the applications.
However, even if the Energy Department approves all the pending permits from companies seeking to export natural gas, the fuel could not begin flowing overseas for at least a few years. Most American natural gas export terminals are in the early stages of construction. While one, in Sabine Pass, La., is tentatively scheduled to open in late 2015, most others will not start operating until 2017 or later.
