WHO’S YER BUDDY, WHO’S YER PAL?

That’s a trick question, right?

It sure must seem like one to the Europeans right now. You know – that continent where they’d hamstrung themselves so badly transitioning to unreliable renewables before the technology was ready and without making sure they’d saved enough of their old power generation to cover the difference? The same continent where the powers that be figured that natural gas – liquid natural gas (LNG) – would be the backup energy source for electrical plants when the wind didn’t blow and the sun didn’t shine? Some of the virtue signaling European countries were also confidently closing their own LNG wells and processing plants, because the Russians and other places had plenty to replace those, so there were no worries about supplies…until there were.

Until wars blew up and so did pipelines, and then pressure came from the president of the United States to eschew dealing with the big, bad Russkies for vital LNG deliveries. Why bother, Joe Biden said, when the United States had more than what they needed and could make up the difference? Trust us me. I’ve got you covered.

Even with more delivery disturbances in the region because of Houthis causing shipping to divert from the Red Sea…

Europe exposed to gas supply risk from extended Red Sea shut-in: Rystad Energy
Some 15.5 million tonnes of LNG was sent through the Red Sea to Europe last year, or 13% of the continent’s LNG supply

Industry observers have warned that a prolonged shut-in of the crucial Red Sea route to international shipping would pose a gas supply risk to Europe, which is increasingly looking at liquefied natural gas supplies from the Middle East region.

Multiple international oil & gas operators, including QatarEnergy, are now avoiding the critical Bal el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea following attacks by Houthi rebels, disrupting marine traffic in the region.

…Europe could watch the LNG tankers arrive like clockwork from the US. Europe could depend on Joe.

Ah, yeah. Good times, good times.

All that was true until yesterday – it all came to a screeching halt in a blatant election year sop to the climate cult.

The Biden administration on Friday halted the approval of new licenses to export US liquefied natural gas while it scrutinizes how the shipments affect climate change, the economy and national security — a moratorium likely to disrupt plans for billions of dollars in projects.

The Energy Department study will build on an existing analysis that underpins the agency’s review of proposals to send more natural gas to European, Asian and other countries that are not US free-trade partners. New exports are now vetted on a case-by-case basis to see whether they are in the public interest — a threshold established by federal law — but government assumptions used in those reviews haven’t been updated since 2018.

In the face of Biden’s ghastly poll numbers, the pathetic grifter and his White House toadies are desperate to buy votes wherever they can at whatever cost to whomever. This neat little maneuver has boned both our own fossil fuel industry and our European allies – a twofer.

Europe were promised LNG by the US after cutting Russian buying. They were lied to. Electoral politics more important than a core ally. Biden pulls the LNG terminals even though Qatari LNG has to take the long route due to Red Sea attacks. Europe look like complete clowns. 🤡🇪🇺 https://t.co/oqFxSiwN2F

— Philip Pilkington (@philippilk) January 26, 2024

What has POTATUS wrought?

Breaking:

Biden to help Putin by delaying US LNG export terminal.

LNG exports are vital to extricating Europe from Russian natural gas dependence.

Climate idiocy more important to Biden than helping Europe.https://t.co/jqDKu9j6IG pic.twitter.com/5PJdGth5uK

— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) January 24, 2024

This dementia riddled, anti-American grifter is such a disaster.

The Biden administration is pausing a decision on whether to approve what would be the largest natural gas export terminal in the United States, a delay that could stretch past the November election and spell trouble for that project and 16 other proposed terminals, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

…The move comes as Mr. Biden gears up for what is likely to be a contentious re-election campaign. He is courting climate voters, particularly the young activists who helped him win election in 2020 and who have been angered by his administration’s approval last year of the Willow project, an enormous oil drilling operation in Alaska.

It also comes as the United States leads the world in both liquefied natural gas exports and oil and gas production. The country has seven export terminals with five more already under construction.

The project in question, Calcasieu Pass 2, is among 17 additional terminals that have been proposed by the fossil fuel industry.

…“This move would amount to a functional ban on new LNG export permits,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The administration’s war on affordable domestic energy has been bad news for American workers and consumers alike.”

Charlatan radicals like the Sierra Club are besides themselves with glee over the move…

…“Putting a stop to expanded gas exports is one of the most important moves President Biden could make on addressing the climate crisis,” Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, said in a statement. “It would mark a bold and historic decision and a major win for communities and advocates that have long spoken out about the dangers of LNG.”

…while every other sane person with a half a brain is apoplectic at the ramifications.

…But stymying America’s LNG exports may also cede the market share to other nations, which would obviate the global environmental impact of blocking domestic LNG projects.

“It appears the administration may be putting a moratorium on the entire US LNG industry,” Shaylyn Hynes, spokeswoman for Venture Global, said in a statement. “Such an action would shock the global energy market, having the impact of an economic sanction, and send a devastating signal to our allies that they can no longer rely on the United States.”

I hope Europe’s happy, even as they wonder where the hell and how they’re supposed to make up the difference if they lose even more of their Middle Eastern suppliers. After all, they think Joe Biden’s great, right? Getting cut off at the energy knees is still better than having to pay your fair share of NATO dues and mean tweets, right?

It’s been so terrific having “the adults” in charge.

President Biden, in an attempt to move the narrative away from the border, pauses new exportation of LNG. pic.twitter.com/fnRGL1Y1H7

— Tom Buckley (@BullheadRanch) January 26, 2024

Particularly the brain-dead meat sack who can’t issue a “presidential” statement affecting the country at large without fanning those hateful flames.

What is wrong with this hollow, hate filled husk of a man?

“We will not cede to special interests…” You just did, you pathetic fraud, and everyone here knows it.

Even though they’ve just elected a Republican governor, there are a lot of Democratic votes left in Louisiana…or there were. These are big, important projects – in an industry that was fixin’ to spool up for a long run – which he’s just squashed. Perhaps permanently, God forbid he gets reelected.

And, as someone pointed out yesterday, Biden’s already turning those hardcore blue Texas border counties deep red thanks to the hordes he has pouring across unabated there.

Is the WH thinking here that the few enthusiastic Green weenies they might earn at the expense of all of the people involved in the burgeoning growth of our LNG exports (with its comforting energy and national security benefits) are going to be worth the clearly calculated political betrayal?

Good luck with that.

For Americans, yeah.

These creatures can’t be vanquished soon enough.

BEEGE UPDATE: Just as our worthless president announces this, what happens? The Houthis score their first direct hit on a “petroleum products” tanker.

A Houthi missile has struck a product tanker operated for Trafigura, the commodity trading firm with the company confirm the vessel is on fire. It is the second report of attacks by the rebel group against tankers today. UK Maritime Trade Organization also confirmed the reports saying assistance is being provided.

UK-based digital solutions provider Vanguard was first to report that the Marshall Islands-flagged Marlin Luanda was struck during the second attack. The vessel is a 110,000 dwt product tanker is traveling from Morocco and reported having transited the Suez Canal last weekend. The AIS signal shows the vessel heading to Singapore.

UK Maritime Trade Organizations confirmed that it received a report saying the vessel was on fire and requesting assistance. They put the location as 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, similar to the location of the first report of an explosion.

Well done all around by the malevolent clowns who rule us.

Updated Report: Trafigura Tanker Hit by Houthi Missile in Gulf of Aden

It appears two tankers have stopped in the Gulf of Aden – Marshall Is-flagged Marlin Luanda 110,000 dwt and Panama-flagged Achilles 109,000 dwt tanker https://t.co/ni36jtc2wN pic.twitter.com/9LM3acz2tC

— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ (@mercoglianos) January 26, 2024