WASHINGTON - December 7 - In response to yesterday’s report touting the “aggregate” economic benefits of liquefied natural gas exports – commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy and conducted by NERA Economic Consulting – Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter and Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf released the following statement:

“With its unbalanced economic analysis, yesterday’s report for the Department of Energy has done the general public a great disservice and oil & gas industry executives a huge favor. In spite of its rhetoric about the shale gas revolution delivering U.S energy security, the industry and its Wall Street backers plan to sell fracked natural gas overseas to the highest bidders. NERA’s report not only sweeps under the rug the public costs of more drilling and fracking, it insults us with the argument that the benefits enjoyed by the oil and gas industry and its financiers will trickle down. Suggesting that huge profits for corporate executives at the expense of higher natural gas prices for American consumers is somehow good for our nation is absurd.

“This report ignores issues of national energy policy, obfuscates significant economic impacts to homeowners and small businesses, and puts the interests of foreign energy companies ahead of those of U.S. citizens.  The U.S. federal government should not make it public policy to knowingly and purposefully increase the energy burden for average Americans for the benefit of energy companies.”

A recent report by Food & Water Watch, U.S. Energy Insecurity: Why Fracking for Oil and Natural Gas is a False Solution, exposes the misconceptions, falsehoods and misleading statements behind the oil and gas industry’s claims that modern drilling and fracking can deliver U.S. energy security. The industry’s plans to export shale gas, America’s supposed ticket to energy security, reveal that the only thing the industry seeks to secure is its bottom line.

The Food & Water Watch report is available at: www.foodandwaterwatch.org/reports/US-Energy-Insecurity/