This new LNG export facility supports thousands of jobs in the Rio Grande Valley, brings billions of dollars in investment to the region, and strengthens Texas’s energy leadership.
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a final order approving the Rio Grande LNG facility and the accompanying pipeline. The order clears the way for the energy project to advance.
Sen Cruz said, “I am proud to have led the fight to secure federal authorization for the Rio Grande LNG project. This new LNG export facility supports thousands of jobs in the Rio Grande Valley, brings billions of dollars in investment to the region, and strengthens Texas’s energy leadership."Texas is the energy capital of the world, and I am proud to fight to ensure it stays that way.”
Matt Schatzman, Chairman & CEO of NextDecade said, “NextDecade is deeply grateful to Senator Cruz for his continual support and commitment to advancing Rio Grande LNG. The Senator’s leadership has been instrumental in helping secure a final order for the project from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Lending his support along with that of other federal, state, and local elected officials gave voice to the importance of Rio Grande LNG to our nation, Texas, the Rio Grande Valley and our allies around the world.”
BACKGROUND
In July, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to expeditiously reissue the appropriate authority for the Rio Grande LNG project. This project supports thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment in the Rio Grande Valley.
In March, Sens. Cruz, Cornyn, Wicker, and Tim Scott reintroduced the Protect LNG Act, which would ensure that a court cannot vacate a previously authorized LNG permit, clarifies the venue for LNG lawsuits before federal courts, and mandates that courts grant expedited decisions in relevant cases. Cruz first introduced this bill in 2024.
Sen. Cruz led a bicameral and bipartisan amicus brief in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s decision to vacate the authorizations for the Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG Brownsville projects. His amicus brief is available here and here. Following the court’s recent decision to reinstate approvals for both projects, Sen. Cruz issued a statement welcoming the ruling.
In 2024, Sen. Cruz, Cornyn and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., authored an op-ed highlighting the U.S. Court of Appeals decision vacating already-issued liquefied natural gas permits in South Texas in a recent op-ed for the Rio Grande Guardian.
Sen. Cruz issued a statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reinstated approvals for LNG projects for Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG Brownsville. The D.C. Circuit had previously vacated the permits for both projects in an August 2024 decision.
