U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., is calling for more U.S. oil and natural gas production.
At an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Hyde-Smith advocated for the role of U.S. energy, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), in stabilizing markets at home and among U.S. allies.
Hyde-Smith argued that more U.S.-produced energy is necessary for global security.
“The continued Russian hostility makes it necessary for us to analyze everything we can of the crucial role of the United States as a stable source of energy across the globe,” Hyde-Smith said. “We can only do this with energy policies that allow American energy to flourish, that we can produce and not be paralyzed by policies and agendas that harm production.”
In response to Russia’s February 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, American LNG exporters boosted shipments to Europe by more than 137 percent in the first 11 months of 2022 from the same period in 2021.
Those U.S. LNG exports supplied more than half of Europe’s imported LNG and helped the continent survive a nearly 55 percent plunge in piped shipments from Russia.
“We witnessed the dangers first hand when the Biden administration enabled Russian energy initiatives before Putin’s invasion,” Hyde-Smith added. “I believe more can be done to help stabilize energy prices both at home and across the globe if we were to unleash domestic energy production, including oil and gas here in this country.”
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Hyde-Smith joined committee colleagues in providing President Biden a plan to regain American energy dominance — one that would benefit Mississippi directly from recommendations regarding new offshore oil and gas lease sales and expedited LNG exports to U.S. allies.
