Politics

Will Biden’s halt on fossil fuel projects appeal to young voters in 2024?

By Jake Beardslee · January 31, 2024

In a White House press briefing, President Biden announced a temporary pause on decisions regarding pending applications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, with exceptions made for immediate national security needs. The pause will allow the administration to thoroughly evaluate the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, national security, and the environment.

The President cited the devastating toll that climate change has taken across the country and world through intensifying hurricanes, floods, wildfires and record temperatures. From the start of his administration, Biden has positioned the U.S. as a global leader in tackling this “existential threat of our time” through the largest ever climate investments and policies to advance clean energy and environmental justice.

However, “more action is needed” according to Biden. Through this LNG export pause, his administration seeks to “take a hard look” at whether ramping up fossil fuel exports aligns with the urgent climate response demanded by science. As the statement says, “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is.”

The statement criticized “MAGA Republicans” for “willfully denying the urgency of the climate crisis,” and Biden said his administration “will not be complacent” nor “cede to special interests.” He acknowledged the “calls of young people and frontline communities” demanding bold climate leadership from those in power. The President framed this pause as an opportunity to “create clean energy jobs, improve quality of life, and build a more hopeful future for our children.”