Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Tuesday touted a natural gas deal between Exxon and Mideast energy giant Qatar to build a new energy export terminal in Texas, while boasting about the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address.
“Under @realdonaldtrump, the State of American Energy is strong,” Perry tweeted, posting photos of himself overseeing the “historic signing” of a final investment deal Tuesday for Golden Pass, a liquefied natural gas export terminal.
The deal is expected to generate more than 45,000 U.S. jobs and $35 billion of economic benefits, Perry tweeted, including the State of the Union hashtag, #SOTU.
“Our team has worked diligently on the design, development and permitting for this world-class LNG export facility, and we are eager to begin construction to bring this exciting project to life,” said Sean Ryan, president of Golden Pass Products.
Construction on the project will begin soon in 2019 and take five years to complete, according to an Exxon statement. The facility will begin shipping natural gas in 2024.
Liquefied natural gas exports are a key piece of Trump’s energy dominance agenda that he is expected to mention in his State of the Union address Tuesday evening.
Golden Pass expects to create 9,000 construction jobs and over 200 permanent jobs. It is projected to generate up to $31 billion in economic gains for the U.S., and $4.6 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue, according to Exxon.
“This expansion represents not only an investment in creating jobs and growing our state’s economy, but also in expanding our nation’s international export reach and energy independence,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. “I look forward to building upon our strong relationship with Golden Pass to keep Texas an energy leader at home and abroad.”
Golden Pass, once completed, will be one of just a handful of natural gas export terminals in the country. The Sabine Pass facility, which is close by to Golden Pass, has been shipping most of the U.S.’ exports of liquefied natural gas, along with Dominion’s Cove Point terminal in Maryland.
