The controversy over US coal and natural gas exports

The controversy over US coal and natural gas exports / Joel Darmstadter, Resources for the Future, March 2013, 20 p. (Issue Brief 13-01)

http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFF-IB-13-01.pdf

Key Points (© RFF) :

• Coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports will almost surely confer net economic benefits to the United States.
• Withholding US coal exports is a self-inflicted wound; other producers can fill the gap to meet world demand.
• LNG exports signify a range of possible domestic natural gas price increases, but most estimates point to price levels still well below those experienced a decade ago.
• Aggravated domestic environmental impacts from export-caused increases in coal and natural gas output must be viewed in context. Compared to environmental oversight over much larger output serving domestic needs, this incremental burden seems manageable.
• A casual, politically driven retreat from its traditional freetrade commitment is scarcely in the interest of the United States.

Danièle Revel

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