Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing games with global energy supplies. And his games could have real and potentially dire consequences for America’s allies in Europe unless Congress takes action.

It started in Ukraine. After weeks of protesters taking to the streets, culminating in the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych, the region has quickly erupted in a clash of power players familiar to anyone who grew up in the Cold War era.

President Vladimir Putin moved swiftly to exert power in the midst of political upheaval in Ukraine, even laying claim to Crimea, a formerly Soviet territory that has existed as part of an independent Ukraine for nearly 20 years. Now, Putin and the Russian regime are using their supply of liquid natural gas (LNG) to flex their muscles and exert even more power throughout the region.

As the second-largest producer of natural gas on the planet, Russia is the dominant provider of LNG to European countries. Europeans depend on natural gas to heat their homes and power their industries. Much of the LNG they use flows from Russia through pipelines that cross — you guessed it — Ukraine.

The recent political turmoil in the region is generating fears in Europe that Putin may use his control of LNG supplies to increase his power and spread Russian influence. These fears are not unfounded. Russia’s own national security strategy states plainly that it intends to use its wealth of resources like natural gas to increase its global influence.

As European countries face the possibility of Putin putting a political squeeze on their energy supplies, they are racing to diversify their sources of LNG. They are turning to the largest producer of natural gas on Earth: the United States, the world’s energy superpower.

But right now, the U.S. is turning its back on our allies because of outdated rules restricting the export of LNG to certain countries. As American allies clamor for this vital resource, we sit with our hands tied, unable to provide our friends abroad access to an abundant national resource.

Currently, American companies may export LNG to countries with which we have an existing free trade agreement. However, to export to countries outside of these agreements, American companies must go through a rigorous application process from the U.S. Department of Energy that has been met with unnecessary delays.

H.R. 6, a bill that I introduced last week to speed up the approval process for LNG exports, would shift the current benchmark from free trade agreement countries to World Trade Organization members. It will allow companies to export to countries within the WTO, like Ukraine — which is at the mercy of Russian supply — without delay.

The current framework is time-consuming, expensive, and putting our national security interests at risk. But these outdated rules are not just hurting our allies abroad, they’re also hindering economic growth and job creation right here in Colorado.

Colorado is rich with natural gas, and extraction of this resource using responsible hydraulic fracturing has been an unqualified success story for our state. It has created thousands of good-paying jobs and helped boost local economies amid a global recession.

Congress must now act to ease the antiquated restrictions on LNG exports.

H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, will ensure our allies abroad have access to our abundant natural gas resources, resulting in economic growth and good jobs here at home.

U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner is a Republican from Yuma. He is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_25296210/undermine-putin-lng-exports