As energy prices for US households soar nationwide, Democratic and progressive lawmakers are calling on the energy department to end its plan to double exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“The Trump administration’s LNG export policies are not putting America first: they have jacked up utility prices for families, leaving many Americans struggling with the cost of heating their homes this winter,” reads a letter to the energy secretary, Chris Wright, sent the Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Independent senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and seven others.
Exports of LNG – methane gas that is cooled and turned into a liquid for easier long-distance transport – boomed under former president Joe Biden. Since Trump re-entered office last January, they have soared even higher, growing 26% in 2025 with an additional 8% increase expected this year, according to federal data.
Last year, the US became the first country in history to export more than 100m metric tons of the fuel in a single year, a fact the White House has touted with pride.
Trump officials have repeatedly stated their desire to continue increasing LNG exports. Last fall, Wright declared that he wants to “double the natural gas exports”, the letter notes.
The energy secretary, Chris Wright, addresses journalists during the IEA ministerial meeting at the OECD in Paris, France, on 18 February. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
That increase is at odds with Trump’s repeated pledges to slash Americans’ utility bills, the lawmakers write in the letter, sent Wednesday night. In a June report, the senators note, the Energy Information Administration found that 2025’s higher natural gas prices, and projected increases in 2026, “are the result of strong export growth that persistently outpaces US natural gas production”. Utilities and state regulators have confirmed that increased exports have pushed up bills, the letter also says.
“The mechanism is simple supply and demand: increased exports leave less natural gas available for domestic consumers, increasing prices for residential ratepayers,” reads the letter, which was also signed by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Senator Peter Welch of Vermont.
The Guardian has contacted the energy department for comment.
The missive comes as polls show Americans are increasingly concerned about rising utility costs. Though Trump repeatedly promised to halve electricity costs within his first year back in office, the average US household paid nearly 6.7% more for electricity in 2025 than the year before, according to an analysis by the Guardian last month.
As LNG exports have harmed ordinary Americans, they have benefited the fossil fuel industry, which poured record sums into Trump’s presidential campaign, the senators note. For instance, the top two US LNG exporters, Cheniere Energy and Venture Global, both significantly increased their earnings last year, they write.
Executives from both companies donated to the president’s re-election efforts and attended a fundraiser where he encouraged fossil fuel industry donations and reportedly asked for $1bn in support for his campaign.
“We urge you to reconsider the administration’s stance on LNG exports and instead take action to reduce consumers’ utility bills,” the senators write, calling on Wright to provide a “written response detailing your commitment to do so”.
