Port of Corpus Christi CEO Paul Strawbridge highlighted the port’s growing role in U.S. energy exports on Wednesday following a House committee hearing on the impact of liquified natural gas (LNG) exports on U.S. geopolitics.
Congress recently approved a $327 million channel expansion project that was included in the president’s fiscal year 2018 budget. Strawbridge said the ongoing Harbor Bridge replacement would also add capacity to the port’s LNG export facilities.
“Given the extent of our resource wealth, it makes sense for the United States to meet our allies’ natural gas needs and lessen the ability of unfriendly foreign nations who use energy supply as a geopolitical weapon,” Strawbridge said. “Increased LNG exports will be a boon for the U.S. economy. As the nation’s largest exporter of crude oil, we have seen the value and economic impact of energy exports.”
Representatives of Cheniere and Tellurian testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on Wednesday. Last month, Cheniere announced LNG sale and purchase agreements with China National Petroleum Corp. to export 1.2 million tons of LNG annually.
“We support the work of companies like Cheniere and Tellurian who are developing projects that stand to deliver such significant benefits at home and abroad by helping to position our nation as a dominant force in the global energy markets,” Strawbridge said. “We hope that our policymakers continue to recognize the importance of these projects and what they represent for our future security.”