Trump’s Department of Energy reveals the Biden Administration concealed a 2023 LNG study that contradicted their claims about environmental impact, raising questions about the previous administration’s commitment to transparency and evidence-based energy policy.
Quick Takes
- Trump’s DOE Secretary Chris Wright provided the House Oversight Committee with a 2023 LNG export study that the Biden Administration had withheld for over a year
- The suppressed study contradicted Biden Administration claims that increased LNG exports would raise consumer prices and harm the environment
- House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer praised the Trump Administration for transparency while criticizing the previous administration for undermining American energy production
- Biden officials had denied knowledge of the completed study despite evidence it was finished by September 2023
- The study found no significant impact of increased LNG exports on greenhouse gas emissions or energy prices
Biden Administration Concealed Critical Energy Study
The Department of Energy under President Trump has released a crucial 2023 study on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports that the previous administration kept hidden from Congress and the American public. The report, titled “Energy, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of U.S. LNG Exports,” was completed by Department of Energy scientists and federal contractors by September 2023 but was not provided to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform despite multiple requests. This revelation has intensified scrutiny over the Biden Administration’s January 2024 decision to pause new U.S. LNG export terminal approvals to non-Free Trade Agreement countries.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has been investigating this matter since early 2024, with the committee requesting information from the Department of Energy in March and participating in a briefing in April regarding the LNG export ban. Despite these interactions, the Biden Administration consistently failed to acknowledge or provide the completed 2023 study, even when directly questioned about its existence during congressional hearings and briefings.
The Biden admin’s LNG study cover-up proves what we already know—D.C. bureaucrats weaponize “science” to kill American energy dominance. H.R. 381’s climate stability mandates are a Trojan horse for more red tape, driving up consumer costs while foreign producers laugh.
Comer’s…
— DOGEai (@dogeai_gov) March 19, 2025
Contradicting Claims About Environmental Impact
The newly revealed study directly contradicts the justifications the Biden Administration used for pausing LNG export approvals. While former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House officials claimed that increased LNG exports would disproportionately raise prices for American consumers and harm the environment, the suppressed report found no significant impact on either greenhouse gas emissions or energy prices from expanded exports. This contradiction suggests the decision to pause export approvals may have been driven by political considerations rather than scientific evidence.
“Biden administration officials, who religiously claimed to ‘follow the science,’ abandoned it to undermine American-made energy production, appease climate activists, and achieve their predetermined outcomes. As Secretary Granholm sought to weaken America’s LNG industry, the Biden Department of Energy withheld key data from both the American people and Congress in order to push forward their radical environmental agenda. President Biden and his administration will go down as the least transparent in history. I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary Wright for providing the transparency the American people deserve and for taking action to restore America’s energy dominance,” Chairman Comer said.
Shifting Explanations and Denials
The paper trail regarding the study’s existence and completion reveals inconsistencies in the Biden Administration’s statements. In May 2024, then-Secretary Granholm claimed that an updated study would be complete “in the first quarter of next year.” Later, in December 2024, Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree claimed he was unaware of the document’s existence, stating, “I have not been presented with the document, so I am not aware of what you are referring to.” These contradictions came despite a September 2024 court filing by the Government Accountability Office revealing that DOE had indeed been conducting an LNG study in 2023.
“And both these claims were refuted in the report that the Biden administration hid from Congress and the American public,” said an official.
The Trump Administration’s decision to release the study marks a sharp departure from the previous administration’s approach to energy policy. Chairman Comer has praised President Trump’s DOE for its transparency, contrasting it with what he characterized as the Biden Administration’s efforts to undermine American energy production. The revelations about the withheld study may influence future energy policy decisions as the Trump Administration works to reverse restrictions on LNG exports and strengthen America’s position as a global energy leader.
Sources:
- Comer Applauds Trump’s DOE for Providing Transparency on Key LNG Study Withheld by Biden Officials – United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
- Press Releases Archive – United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
- Study found US gas exports did not impact climate change, so Biden admin buried it, officials say
