The Economics of U.S. LNG Exports

Policy, Process, and Politics

Energy and Environment Intelligence Webinar Series
Categorized Under: Energy

ICF International will present a webinar to discuss the economics of U.S. liquid natural gas (LNG) exports and how estimates of the economic impacts of LNG exports play a role in policy development, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) export approval process, and Congressional politics. The webinar will review key conclusions of the economic studies submitted in export applications to DOE Office of Fossil Energy and the recent LNG export study published by the Energy Information Administration. During the webinar, ICF will also discuss how such studies are used to frame and influence the policy debates on whether LNG exports are in the national interest and, if so, what level of LNG exports should be allowed. The webinar will address the following questions:

What are the regulatory requirements for LNG export approvals, and what policy concerns are raised by the public and Congress surrounding such approvals?
Is the North American natural gas resource base adequate for extra demand from LNG exports?
What impacts will LNG exports have on national prices, pipeline flows, and regional basis?
What are general economic impacts related to exports—including jobs, GDP, and balance of trade—and how should these be factored into policies?

Presenters

Harry Vidas
Vice PresidentICF International

Harry Vidas is a recognized authority on energy markets and forecasting. He leads a team of geologists, engineers, and economists to analyze North American and world natural gas and oil supply, transportation, and end use.

He has directed projects related to international oil and natural gas supply, gas processing, and LNG production; shipping, pipeline transmission, underground storage, gas-to-liquids processes; and synthetic fuels and end-use markets. He has worked in electric utility fuel use, price and capacity forecasting, and design and implementation of management information and planning systems. He has designed and implemented models to estimate expected future energy price distributions and optimum commodity sales portfolios.
Bruce Henning
Vice PresidentICF International

Bruce Henning brings 31 years of experience as a natural gas and energy economics professional to ICF. Mr. Henning has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the relationship between gas and electric markets in California, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs on the impact of the Enron bankruptcy on electricity and gas markets, as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Canadian National Energy Board.

Mr. Henning was the principal author of Natural Gas and Energy Price Volatility, prepared for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In addition, he and his colleagues authored the series of analyses of gas industry infrastructure requirements performed for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation. Mr. Henning also served as the Chief Economist for the American Gas Association (AGA). He received his B.S. in Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Kevin Petak
Vice PresidentICF International

Kevin Petak, an expert in gas market modeling, has over 26 years of experience in the energy industry. He has directed numerous energy market analyses to support strategic planning needs at energy companies. The analyses have investigated the impact of gas production, gas storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, and pipeline expansions on gas prices, the effect of weather and oil prices on gas markets, and the impact of carbon control strategies on gas markets. They have been widely used to support facilities/fuels/contracts management and planning, mergers and acquisitions, investment decisions, risk management, and hedge strategies.

Mr. Petak has directed gas market modeling work for the National Petroleum Council, America’s Natural Gas Alliance, the American Gas Foundation, and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. Much of Mr. Petak’s work focuses on projecting market growth and prices for the North American natural gas market by using ICF’s Gas Market Model, a comprehensive gas modeling system that he developed. The ICF model is also the primary tool used for ICF’s gas market subscription services, which Mr. Petak manages. In the past few years, Mr. Petak has completed a number of studies that have investigated the impacts of different regulations on natural gas use and prices. In addition, studies have focused on the amount of natural gas infrastructure that is necessary under different scenarios. Mr. Petak has a M.S. in Business from the University of Texas at Dallas and a B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.
Leonard Crook
Vice PresidentICF International
After a career with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Leonard Crook joined ICF International in 1984. He directs ICF’s Natural Gas practice, specializing in natural gas market structure and operations, pipeline transportation issues, distribution costs and supply planning, LNG strategies, and climate change issues related to natural gas systems. He has authored numerous reports and made presentations on all aspects of the natural gas industry. Mr. Crook has a strong background in natural gas market structure and dynamics.