Trump-declared energy emergency speeds massive expansion of Plaquemines LNG terminal
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has fast-tracked a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Plaquemines LNG export terminal in Louisiana under the Trump administration’s “national energy emergency” permitting process.
The Army Corps of Engineers granted Plaquemines LNG a rapid permitting pathway after President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency, reducing the standard 30-day comment period to ten days that ended on July 2. The proposed expansion would enlarge the facility from nearly 590 acres to about 1,220 acres, positioning it as the biggest LNG export terminal on the continent. Venture Global, which owns the plant, projects the $18 billion project could affect up to 470 acres of wetlands and water bottoms in central Plaquemines Parish, a region already experiencing severe coastal loss.
Critics say the expedited process threatens the fragile ecosystem and could add at least 9 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions per year, despite the company's intent to use carbon-capture and sequestration. The terminal currently ships 833 billion cubic feet of gas annually, mainly to Europe, and is among Louisiana’s largest polluters, releasing about 8.1 million tons of CO₂ each year. While some local officials praise the job-creating potential, environmental advocates argue the project sacrifices the coast for private profit.
Why it matters
The fast-tracked expansion could reshape U.S. energy exports while threatening Louisiana’s dwindling wetlands and increasing greenhouse-gas emissions.
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