WASHINGTON (April 16, 2012) -- Following the approval of a new natural gas export facility in Louisiana by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) continued to express deep concern over the trend towards the wholesale export of America's natural gas. This export tax will increase electricity and heating prices for American consumers and threaten the steel, plastics, fertilizer and other American industries that are aided by low natural gas prices.
 
“If the federal government approves more of these export terminals to send America's natural gas to China and Europe, then we'll eventually be exporting our manufacturing jobs abroad along with the fuel,” said Rep. Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee. “America should exploit her competitive advantage with lower natural gas prices to create jobs in the United States, not export natural gas to create more profits for oil and gas companies.”
 
Rep. Markey has introduced two bills that would keep American natural gas produced on public lands in America and block FERC from approving new export terminals.
 
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