Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver Another 90 Days, Includes LNG
On March 18, President Trump issued a 60-day waiver pausing the enforcement of the Jones Act (see President Trump Issues 60-Day Waiver of Jones Act, Includes LNG). For *years* we have railed against the 106-year-old Jones Act and its requirement that any goods (like LNG) that are transported from one U.S. port to another be on a ship manufactured in the U.S., owned by a U.S. company, and crewed by a U.S. crew. The effect of this law in the modern age is to ban LNG (and other shipments, like gasoline, propane, coal, and other products manufactured in the U.S.) from being shipped cheaply from port to port. Suspension made it possible to ship LNG from one U.S. port to another. However, the waiver expired at 12 am ET on May 18. But, good news! President Trump extended the waiver for another 90 days. Read More “Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver Another 90 Days, Includes LNG”


Energy Transfer LP (ET) owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the U.S., with approximately 140,000 miles of pipeline and associated energy infrastructure. ET’s strategic network spans 44 states and includes assets in all major U.S. production basins, including the Marcellus/Utica. The company issued its first quarter 2026 update last week. ET sees the Marcellus/Utica region as a key source of NGL supplies for its export operations, particularly exports from the Marcus Hook terminal near Philadelphia.
Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG, which accepts and liquefies Marcellus/Utica molecules just offshore from Savannah, Georgia, received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in November 2024 to expand the facility to produce an extra 0.4 million metric tons/year (see
You’ve seen the headlines and maybe read the news that “Qatar supplies 20 percent of the world’s LNG.” Iran bombed Qatar’s LNG export facility in early March and took it offline. The world press had a stroke, predicting a natural gas Armageddon without 20% of LNG coming from Qatar. But what’s this? U.S. LNG exporters “have so far offset the drop in shipments from Qatar following Iranian attacks on its facilities” and the closure of Hormuz. We’ve been able to make up for the lost exports from Qatar.
On Monday, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to channel federal funding toward domestic energy projects, specifically targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum, coal power, and grid infrastructure. Empowering the Energy Department to bypass regulatory and financial hurdles, the move aims to curb rising electricity and gasoline costs ahead of the midterm elections while meeting surging power demands from the AI industry. 
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts U.S. natural gas net exports will keep rising through 2027, driven by expanding LNG capacity and stronger pipeline shipments to Mexico. Net exports are projected to reach 18.7 Bcf/d in 2026 and 20.5 Bcf/d in 2027. LNG exports should average 17.0 Bcf/d in 2026, then climb again in 2027 as new projects, including Corpus Christi, Golden Pass, Port Arthur, and Rio Grande, ramp up. Europe remains the leading destination, while Mexico’s power and LNG growth support pipeline demand. Imports stay minimal, and reduced Canadian imports reflect new Canadian LNG projects and rising Appalachian production serving Northeast markets. 

U.S. natural gas liquids (NGL) exports climbed 7% to 3.1 million barrels per day in 2025, fueled by high domestic production and rising global demand for petrochemical feedstocks. Ethane exports grew 19% due to new international cracker projects, while propane reached a record 1.8 million b/d, supported by significant growth in India. Butane also hit record highs, serving as a vital cooking and industrial fuel in emerging markets like Indonesia and India. While China and Canada remain top destinations, the United States continues to dominate the global market by leveraging low domestic prices to meet diverse international energy needs. NGL exports from the M-U region also hit a new record-high last year.