Energy Department OKs natural gas export project

The Energy Department approved a U.S. terminal to ship natural gas to nations without a free-trade agreement Monday, a move that comes amid escalating Washington pressure to expedite such projects.

The DOE determined a proposal to export 0.8 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day for up to 20 years from the Jordan Cove project in Coos Bay, Ore., was in the public interest. The metric invites greater department scrutiny for proposals to export to non-free trade nations and is at the center of evolving discussions on Capitol Hill.