Biden Admin Allegedly Shelved Study Showing U.S. Gas Exports Didn’t Harm Climate

FIRST ON FOX – The Biden administration reportedly withheld a study for over a year that failed to prove U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export expansion significantly impacted greenhouse gas emissions, according to findings obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. The report, completed in September 2023, had been buried until recently.

According to senior Trump administration officials, the Biden team delayed sharing the study with House Oversight Committee Republicans. The Daily Caller News Foundation initially reported claims that the administration had "intentionally buried" the findings.

The study, titled "Energy, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of U.S. LNG Exports," concluded that expanding LNG exports and natural gas production did not notably alter global or U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. It also found no major correlation with rising consumer energy prices—directly contradicting claims made by the Biden administration.

Despite being finalized in 2023, the study’s release was stalled ahead of President Biden’s January 2024 decision to pause all new LNG export terminals, citing environmental and economic concerns. Critics now suggest the administration ignored these findings to support pre-determined policy goals.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sharply criticized the administration, saying, "Officials who claimed to ‘follow the science’ abandoned it to undermine American energy for political appeasement." Comer thanked former President Trump and his team for ensuring the report eventually came to light.

During Biden’s presidency, U.S. LNG exports reached record highs, driven by European demand amid Russia’s energy cutoffs following the Ukraine conflict. This made the U.S. the world’s largest energy exporter by 2023. However, the surge in exports drew pushback from progressive Democrats, such as Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who pressured the administration to pause further expansion.

The Energy Department’s delayed release of the study and refusal to comply with House Oversight requests have sparked bipartisan criticism. The administration finally released a separate report in December 2024, after the presidential election, projecting that LNG exports could raise consumer prices by up to 30% in coming years. That report was met with industry backlash, with many calling its conclusions exaggerated.

This controversy adds another layer to the ongoing debate over balancing energy security, economic interests, and environmental responsibility. As the world’s largest LNG exporter, the U.S. finds itself at the crossroads of domestic and international pressures—a balancing act that seems far from resolved.