Citing economic and national security woes, more than a dozen European nations are ramping up pressure on Washington to open wider its federally restricted spigot of natural-gas exports.
The countries, which primarily include Eastern European nations heavily dependent upon Russia for their energy supplies, are working with a Washington-based government-affairs firm to launch a lobbying coalition in the next month with American energy companies, primarily through two major trade associations: America's Natural Gas Alliance and the American Petroleum Institute.
The coalition, whose name will be LNG Allies, will lobby Washington on allowing these countries easier access to natural gas from the United States, where supplies have ballooned in recent years and domestic prices have plummeted compared with the rest of the world. Right now, federal law significantly restricts U.S. companies from exporting natural gas to countries that are not free-trade partners with United States, which includes Europe.
"These countries are all still very heavily dependent upon Russia, and they're excited about getting into the LNG [liquefied natural gas] marketplace, and are looking for not only U.S. gas, but good, solid business relationships," said the coalition's organizer, who works for the firm launching the coalition.
Note EU-Digest: this should be another incentive for Europe to invest heavily in alternative energy instead of selling their soul to the devils (Russia and USA) for energy.
Read more: Europe to America: We Want Your Gas - NationalJournal.com
The countries, which primarily include Eastern European nations heavily dependent upon Russia for their energy supplies, are working with a Washington-based government-affairs firm to launch a lobbying coalition in the next month with American energy companies, primarily through two major trade associations: America's Natural Gas Alliance and the American Petroleum Institute.
The coalition, whose name will be LNG Allies, will lobby Washington on allowing these countries easier access to natural gas from the United States, where supplies have ballooned in recent years and domestic prices have plummeted compared with the rest of the world. Right now, federal law significantly restricts U.S. companies from exporting natural gas to countries that are not free-trade partners with United States, which includes Europe.
"These countries are all still very heavily dependent upon Russia, and they're excited about getting into the LNG [liquefied natural gas] marketplace, and are looking for not only U.S. gas, but good, solid business relationships," said the coalition's organizer, who works for the firm launching the coalition.
Note EU-Digest: this should be another incentive for Europe to invest heavily in alternative energy instead of selling their soul to the devils (Russia and USA) for energy.
Read more: Europe to America: We Want Your Gas - NationalJournal.com
