Posted on 06/16/2013 7:37:25 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
When President Obama meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of Eight meeting this week, there should be a spotlight on our two nations’ drastically different approaches to natural gas exports. While Russia continues to export natural gas and dominate the European market, the United States continues to slow-walk approval for natural gas exports. Our slow and sluggish process is affecting U.S. economic and national security.
While traveling recently to Azerbaijan, the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe to research energy issues, I witnessed the heavy hand of Russian influence and oppression.
Russia’s control of the natural gas market and prices results in some of our allies paying exorbitant rates. Expensive energy limits their economic competitiveness and their citizens’ quality of life.
The high prices Russia receives for exported energy also strengthen Putin at home. And a stronger Putin and a dominant Russia do little to advance U.S. interests.
The United States has a rare opportunity to simultaneously help its allies, strengthen its foreign policy hand and create much-needed jobs at home — all by exporting plentiful American natural gas. The question is whether the Obama administration will allow it.
U.S. producers can export liquefied natural gas (LNG), but the process often involves years of delay by the Energy Department. To speed things up, I have introduced legislation, with bipartisan support, that would provide faster approval of LNG exports to our NATO allies, Japan and other countries. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
when obambi meets with (Ras)putin he should get the Patriot ring back
>>>>While traveling recently to Azerbaijan, the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe to research energy issues, I witnessed the heavy hand of Russian influence and oppression.<<<<
Do you really want a Russian influence to shrink that much? To replace it with what? Chinese influence? What is the point? 70 years ago it was believed that French influence is bad in Africa, British in Middle East and Indochina.
There is no French and British influence in both places and it is so peaceful and thriving now. Are they Arfricans and Arabs back to eating skittles and riding unicorns now? Not.
Shrinking Russian influence did wonders to Central Asia already. Their GDP reduced tenfold after Russian departure and armed crowds are roaring the streets looking for Jews and Christians to blame and punish for new found Central Asians misery. No love for America for helping to boot Russians out too.
America is now ‘the Great Satan’ which is heard along with occasional ‘Akbar’ screams and gunshots there and China is buying local elites to make own way to the Gulf oil via Central Asia.
Is it good for US national interest? I guess about as good as ousting all these Russian backed dictators in Middle East. These guys were too tough on new Obama’s ‘friends’ - the Al-Qaeda and it was probably their single fault to get find themselves at a receiving end of another round of neocon ‘nation-bulding’. Unfortunately there is no thanks again from ‘built nations’ and America is a greater Satan than earlier while Christians and Jews are murdered on a daily basis with US help now.
If the USA does not export natural gas then the price of natural gas will remain relatively low vis a vis world prices. low US natural gas prices have already attracted an estimated 100 billion worth of business to the USA.
exporting natural gas will push US natural gas prices up to world wide rates—killing the incentive for overseas companies who profit from low natural gas prices—to set up shop in the USA.
I kinda think that the people who have the natural gas should be able to sell it at the best price they can get. If it's from overseas, so be it.
I have seen the argument that we shouldn’t export nat gas and should use “other people’s oil and gas.” The idea is ours would be the last remaining, but in a case like that, the obvious result would be other people would be highly motivated to take over our country for its resources.
Not True.
The US natural gas market has already shown great drop off in the drilling with the low price. There is a supply curve in the demand and supply price points and we have already seen the impact begin.
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