The Trump Administration is looking for new markets for exported liquefied natural gas (LNG), a push that could further prime the hydrogen economy the Biden Administration began laying out.
The day he took office, Trump issued an executive order that, among other provisions, called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to end a pause on considering pending applications for export of LNG to countries with which the U.S. does not have a free-trade agreements, and on the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to reevaluate environmental impact statements for deepwater port projects related to LNG export.
This and other fossil-fuel-related measures in the executive order to aim to counteract the Biden Administration’s emphasis on electric vehicles and renewable energy. The Trump Administration claims it’s taking aim at “unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies” and “effectively mandate their purchase” by “rendering other types of vehicles unaffordable.”
Volvo FH hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck
When it comes to LNG, contriving a larger export market for the fuel, which is typically used in larger vehicles like semi trucks, could help build out infrastructure and thus spur domestic adoption. But this may be more bluster than an about-face. Under the Biden Administration, North American LNG export capacity was on track to more than double by 2028, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Although it isn’t one of the stated goals in the executive order, establishing a supply chain for LNG could also help to finally create one for hydrogen. That effort already got a big boost under the Biden Administration in the form of an $8 billion project to create regional hydrogen hubs for production and distribution.
Kenworth-Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell semi prototype. – May 2024
Under Trump, it’s expected that any U.S. hydrogen production will rely more on natural gas and carbon capture—higher-emission methods all termed “blue” hydrogen—rather than “green” hydrogen that comes with the lowest environmental impact.
Green hydrogen, which generally relies on electrolysis powered by renewable energy, is eligible for tax credits outlined in 2023 after scrutiny from lawmakers to confirm that only the lowest-emission hydrogen production methods would qualify. Those credits may not go away entirely, but they face an uncertain future under Trump.
