Study: future U.S. gas export prices may not be as high as thought

摘要

The effect of (LNG) exports on domestic natural gas prices would likely not be impactful, according to a new study from Rice University's James Baker Institute for Public Policy. The paper, authored by Kenneth Medlock, the institute's Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, also predicts that the long-term volume of LNG exports would not likely be very large. The study, U.S. LNG Exports: Truth and Consequence, concludes the model that has been presented to policymakers is flawed because it assumes a certain volume of exports rather than recognizing that international market response will ultimately limit the amount of LNG exported. "The question before policymakers is one of licensing a capability, not licensing a fixed volume," Medlock says. "Therefore, this issue must be viewed in the context of international trade if informed policy decisions are to be made."