I would say that we shouldn't count our chickens before they hatch.
Let's assume for a moment that U.S. LNG exports go off without a hitch; that the governmental red tape doesn't smother these projects.
After all, one word from Congress, and the whole LNG ship sinks.
Today we'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll convince the U.S. manufacturing sector not to put up a fight.
Last year, a report commissioned by the U.S. Energy Department touted the economic prospects of natural gas exports to the degree that trade groups embraced the resource as one of the future bright spots for the country. While Shell's deal is likely to give momentum to future LNG exports, the devil is in the details.
John Felmy, chief economist for trade group American Petroleum Institute, said the Energy Department should quickly approve pending applications for LNG exports. Doing so, he said, would be a major win for the U.S. economy.
"It would mean more jobs and growth and less debt – key priorities of the American people" he said in a statement.
The Energy Department report found that permitting LNG exports would result in major shifts in terms of which industries are hiring in the United States. "In no scenario," however, is that shift expected to actually create more jobs.
Environmental advocacy group Sierra Club, meanwhile, said it was "baffling" that the report left out an assessment on the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, which would likely increase once LNG exports get under way.
