Posted on 03/27/2014 7:53:56 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
About the only good coming out of ridiculous tit-for-tat sanctions on Russia is the possibility of revised US energy policy, and Lithuania is pleading for it.
The BBC reports Lithuania Pleads for US Gas Exports to Counter Russia
Lithuania's energy minister has called on the US Senate to speed up the export of natural gas to Europe.
Jaroslav Neverovic said that Lithuania was being forced to pay a "political price" for being entirely dependent on Russian gas supplies.
In his statement to a US Senate committee, Mr Neverovic urged members to do everything within their power to release natural gas resources "into the world market".
"A law enacted in your country some 75 years ago denies us access to your abundant and affordably priced energy resources," he said.
The energy minister said customers in Lithuania were having to pay 30% more for natural gas than other European nations, because they were "beholden to a monopolistic supplier."
"This is not just unfair," said Mr Neverovic. "This is abuse of monopolist position."
OK But Wait Until 2020
That quite the nerve complaining about the US monopoly when it is Russia that has the monopoly in Europe.
Moreover, it will take years for the US to get ready.
Edward Chow, a senior fellow at Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Russian exports of natural gas were equivalent to "twice the combined capacity" of the seven US government approved liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects, which would only be completed by the end of this decade.
OK Lithuania, you can have US natural gas. You just have to wait until 2020 to get it.
Be Careful About Agreeing to US Sanction Games
Inquiring minds may wish to read Russia Sanctions Lithuania for Supporting Ukraine.<
On Thursday morning the Lithuanian parliament condemned the military aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and its occupation of the territory of a sovereign country. The parliament said that it strongly supports the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine and expressed political solidarity with the new Ukrainian authorities; they also supported sanctions against Russia, while favoring visa liberalization and the early signing of the European Union Association Agreement with Ukraine slated for next week. In response, Russia has temporarily suspended the import of food products into the Customs Union.
Putin Playing Cards Well
Given that Lithuania’s exports to Russia amount for a fifth of its total exports, perhaps Lithuania should have thought about supporting sanctions on Russia.
Speaking of "political price", it seems Lithuania brought this upon itself, and that Putin is playing his cards well.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
The comment that this would take ‘years’ is mostly bogus. Within twelve months...we’d be delivering natural gas and oil....if we desired to. Under this administration....it’d be practically impossible, I agree. But it wouldn’t take that much effort or courage to make it happen.
Obama, aka the subservient slave of communism, is going to nothing to make it’s lord and master look bad.
Obama wants to destroy the US, Putin wants to own the natural resources of the US, once you can understand that everything else falls into place.
Perhaps Mish should brush-up on Lithuania's history.
And Obama is never going to allow America to begin fracking. His friends in the Green movement would scream murder if it began on his watch.
Say what you like about the Russians, they’re not that stupid.
European energy prices will “necessarily skyrocket” under fauxbama’s plan. Join the crowd there surrender monkeys.
How much gas do they produce? Where does it go?
Europe has the problem that (for very different reasons) neither a committedly liberal nor a committedly conservative administration will have reason to desire to ship them energy.
The Euros have shale. They should start drilling.
The French and Germans were smart and built nuke plants.
Questionable assertion. Behaving collectively as a dangerous maniac with delusion of greatness and violent tendencies counts as mentally challenged. Read: stupid.
We have 2 LNG terminals in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana just waiting to accommodate Europe with plentiful natural. Our government is blocking the possibilities. They are playing directly into the Russians’ hands. Shame on Obama.
RE: We have 2 LNG terminals in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana just waiting to accommodate Europe with plentiful natural.
OK, how do you get that to Eastern Europe?
Let’s see, you’ll have to cross the Atlantic, then where does the ship dock?
One of the many benefits of Drilling and Fracking for NatGas here in America is a safer world. (Just as Sarah Palin said, though she was hardly the first)
The one thing Ubama could have done to put some breaks on Russia is the one thing he refuses to do.
The Keystone Pipeline.
One of many energy policies we should be doing.
Hydroelectric is another.
until we’re energy independent....nothing...
I suspect the Norwegian and Dutch gas exports, while considerable, are already spoken for. Russia obviously has the whip hand in terms of capacity. Still, pipelines, or additional pipelines going to Eastern Europe from Norway and the Netherlands would lessen Russia's blackmail ability.
The USA is number ten on the gas exporter list. Could be higher with a normal human being in the White House encouraging U.S. production and exports rather than throwing up roadblocks.
We’ve tapped most of the available hydroelectric. That will never provide more than 10% of our needs.
The better option is nuclear. If we had a logical energy policy in place 20 years ago, 90% of our electrical generating capacity would be nuclear. The natural gas could be used for home heating, and all that coal in the ground could be converted into liquid petroleum products. Just like the Germans did.
We would be energy independent.
What Republicans need to do is start applying pressure to the Democrats about LNG and Oil. Open up a second front now that Obamacare is screwing the rats.
High gas prices is causing high food costs. Open up that front also.
Then save the best for last. Start suing every Environmental group out there. Force them to spend money in court, just liike the rats did to Palin. Get a friendly court and open up the next front in the war against the left.
That’s how we win. Use the lefts staprategy against them.
The Qataris would love to build a pipeline across Syria and into Europe to sell that gas...
US Natural Gas/Energy for US consumers, sorry Europe go find your own supplies.
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