June 23, 2017 – Just as GJEP’s Kristi Pollard wraps up her trip to D.C. to advocate for the Jordan Cove pipeline project and promote the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export potential of the Piceance Basin, The Financial Times reports that President Trump is encouraging increased U.S. export of LNG.

Kristi was joined in D.C. by delegates from the Grand Valley, including Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese; David Ludlam, Executive Director of the West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association; and Derek Wagner, CMU’s vice President for Intergovernmental and Community Affairs; as well as Rio Blanco County Commissioner Shawn Bolton. The delegation reports positive feedback from all of their visits in D.C., which included the U.S. State Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Read a recap of the visit from The Daily Sentinel here.

The June 22 Financial Times article serves as icing on the cake, encouraging the delegation to continue its efforts in support of Piceance Basin businesses. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Donald Trump is engineering a sharp shift in US energy policy by using natural gas exports as an instrument of trade policy, championing sales to China and other parts of Asia in an effort to create jobs and reduce US trade deficits…

The goal of the push is to help US LNG companies land sales contracts in energy-hungry nations across Asia, including Japan and India…

Wilbur Ross, commerce secretary, and Rick Perry, energy secretary, have both in recent weeks stressed the Trump administration’s desire to help find Chinese buyers for American LNG, shipped from multibillion-dollar terminals being built along the US Gulf coast…

LNG contracts are usually signed between private companies. But the US government can influence the market by easing the approval of export projects while also offering rhetorical support for US companies on the global stage…”

Read the full Financial Times article here (subscription required).

CMU and GJEP recently released a report touting the potential of the Piceance Basin, particularly in exporting energy products to Asian markets. Read the report here.

 

Photo: Delegation from Colorado’s Grand Valley meets with FERC Chairman LeFleur in D.C. on June 21, 2017.