H.R.2771 The “Expedite Our Economy Act of 2013”

Summary and text of the whole bill can be found at the following link
http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2771

Appeal by Congressman Poe

Make it easier to export our surplus of natural gas and put Americans back to work

Dear Colleague,
I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 2771, the “Expedite Our Economy Act of 2013”. This bill would make it easier for companies to export our surplus of natural gas, creating thousands of new jobs, injecting billions into the economy, and strengthening our relationships abroad.

In the last 5 years, the United States has experienced an energy boom. The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently reported that the U.S. has more than 2,200 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas, yet we only consume 24 Tcf a year. Exporting some of that surplus as liquefied natural gas (LNG) would create jobs and help our economy. Numerous studies, including those commissioned by the Department of Energy itself, show a net economic gain in if the DOE allowed more exports. It would also enable us to help some of our closest allies, who are currently paying high prices to get natural gas from unfriendly countries. In fact, in a recent hearing on this topic, a bipartisan panel with everyone from an economist to a union representative unanimously agreed that the United States should export more natural gas. In order to export LNG; companies must obtain approval from DOE and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). DOE’s oversight is based on an old law from the 1930s that said DOE should determine if exports are in the “public interest.” This has not been a problem because the U.S. was never an LNG exporting country. But with the recent discovery in massive stores of natural gas, the DOE has only approved one out of approximately 20 applications. The U.S. economy is set for an economic boom, but the government is holding it back.

The “Expedite Our Economy Act of 2013” fixes this problem by removing DOE from the approval process. It would not remove all regulation of natural gas exports. FERC would still be responsible for making sure that projects are safe for the workers, the public, and the environment. But this bill would update an anachronistic law by doing away with unnecessary bureaucratic red tape so more Americans can get back to work.

If you would like to cosponsor H.R.2771 or have any questions, please contact Luke Murry in Rep. Ted Poe’s office at luke.murry@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

/s/

Ted Poe
Member of Congress