Judge’s Unraveling of DOE’s Liquified Natural Gas Export Pause Not Surprising, Thomas Kruse Tells Law360

Complex Litigation partner Thomas Kruse was quoted in the Law360 article, “The Biggest Energy Decisions In The First Half Of 2024,” where he weighed in on State of Louisiana et al. v. Joseph R. Biden Jr. et al., one of the biggest energy decisions of the first half of 2024. The case involved a Louisiana federal judge who stayed the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) pause on reviewing applications to export liquified natural gas to countries without free trade agreements.

Kruse wasn’t surprised by the judge’s decision. “Even just [in] the first few pages, the judge sets out that the Natural Gas Act specifically instructs the DOE, and I'm quoting here, 'to ensure expeditious completion of all such proceedings related to export terminals,'” he told Law360. “So, that's a strong statement by a judge that the congressional intent was to expedite these proceedings and not sit on them.”

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