LNG proponents proclaim 'Our Energy Moment'

One hundred thousand jobs could be created in the exploration and production sector from two liquefied natural gas exporting facilities in Cameron Parish alone, according to Jason French, director of government and public affairs for Cheniere Energy.

The company is building one of those Cameron Parish facilities. Nine LNG export projects are in the works for Louisiana, French said Tuesday.

French spoke at a news conference announcing a new grassroots outreach and education effort called Our Energy Moment.

“Our Energy Moment is this unique period of time where technological breakthroughs in the oil and gas fields, more efficient production and expanded reserves have created this truly once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to build American jobs, to take the abundant resources that we built, that we discovered here in Louisiana and are producing here in the state of Louisiana and across this country, to take those resources and seize the opportunity and create American jobs and create growth,” he said.

Those behind Our Energy Moment created a nonprofit organization comprising oil and gas producers, service companies, business groups, elected officials and individuals, including the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the Committee of 100 for Economic Development.

The coalition will spread the word to mayors and clubs in towns affected by the shale business, educating them and empowering them to speak with congressional representatives and regulators, French said.

The nation is undergoing a paradigm shift, from being a global energy consumer to one of the world’s largest energy producers because of shale, he said. Not long ago, Cheniere was developing plans for an LNG import facility. Now it’s building a LNG export facility because of technological advances.

A U.S. Department of Energy study found that exporting LNG will likely have a $47 billion net positive impact on the U.S. economy, French said.

Another study estimated 450,000 jobs will be directly created in the U.S. and around 2.4 million total jobs will be created by the expansion of natural gas production in fields like Haynesville Shale that borders on Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, French said.

Michael Olivier, chief executive officer of the Committee of 100, said a team will spend three days in November in New York City participating in 24 meetings, spreading the message of the LNG activity in the Gulf Coast states.

“We’re in the middle of an energy revolution,” said state Sen. Gerald Long, R-Winnfield.