Completing Pending LNG Export Projects Could Raise Natural Gas Prices for Americans by 9 to 14 Percent

This research paper by Energy Innovation estimates that approving pending liquified natural gas (LNG) export projects would increase domestic natural gas prices in the United States by 9 to 14 percent, leading to higher energy costs for households and businesses.

• The approval and completion of pending LNG export terminals could increase domestic natural gas prices by 9 to 14 percent compared to a scenario where these terminals are not built. This would result in an aggregate increase in near-term natural gas expenditures for U.S. households, businesses, and industry of approximately $11-18 billion annually.
• For the average American household that uses natural gas for heating, annual bills could rise by $20 to $40. In the Midwest, where winters are colder, consumers in Michigan could see winter heating bill increases exceeding $7 per month.
• The projected price increases would disproportionately affect low-income American households, who spend approximately 8.6 percent of their total income on energy bills—a burden nearly three times higher than that of non-low-income households.

APA

Goldstein, R., Swint, M. F., & Busch, C. (2024). Completing Pending LNG Export Projects Could Raise Natural Gas Prices for Americans by 9 to 14 Percent. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Consumer-Cost-Impact-Of-Completing-Pending-LNG-Export-Projects_2.2.24-1.pdf

Chicago

Goldstein, Rachel, Mary Francis Swint, and Chris Busch. Completing Pending LNG Export Projects Could Raise Natural Gas Prices for Americans by 9 to 14 Percent. Energy Innovation, 2024. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Consumer-Cost-Impact-Of-Completing-Pending-LNG-Export-Projects_2.2.24-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldstein |first1=Rachel |last2=Swint |first2=Mary Francis |last3=Busch |first3=Chris |title=Completing Pending LNG Export Projects Could Raise Natural Gas Prices for Americans by 9 to 14 Percent |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=February 2024 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Consumer-Cost-Impact-Of-Completing-Pending-LNG-Export-Projects_2.2.24-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldstein2024completing, author = {Goldstein, Rachel and Swint, Mary Francis and Busch, Chris}, title = {{Completing Pending LNG Export Projects Could Raise Natural Gas Prices for Americans by 9 to 14 Percent}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Consumer-Cost-Impact-Of-Completing-Pending-LNG-Export-Projects_2.2.24-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }