Jefferson County — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today approved an LNG export permit extension for Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC , marking what the DOE calls “yet another step toward meeting President Trump’s and Secretary Wright’s commitment to unleash American energy dominance and restore regular order to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export reviews.”

The approval will grant additional time to begin LNG exports from the Golden Pass LNG Terminal, currently under construction in Sabine Pass.

“Exporting U.S. LNG supports American jobs, bolsters our national security and strengthens America’s position as a world energy leader. President Trump has pledged to restore energy dominance for the American people, and I am proud to help deliver on that agenda with today’s permit extension,” said Secretary Wright.

A spokesman for Golden Pass LNG released a statement to KFDM/Fox 4 News.

“Golden Pass LNG is pleased that both the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management have approved requests for extension of permit deadlines for our Sabine Pass LNG project, clearing the regulatory path for the start-up of our commercial LNG export operations,” said the spokesman. “Our goal is to produce first LNG around the end of 2025 with commercial LNG export operations following thereafter. These extensions build in time for contingencies to account for uncertainties outside of Golden Pass LNG’s control that can arise when constructing a project of this scale.”

The issuance to Golden Pass marks the third LNG-related approval from DOE since President Trump took office, following an export approval to Commonwealth LNG on February 14 and an order on rehearing removing barriers for the use of LNG as bunkering fuel announced on February 28.

“Golden Pass was the first project approved for exports to non-free trade agreement countries by DOE during the first Trump Administration, and it is gratifying that this project is so close to being able to deliver its first LNG,” said Tala Goudarzi, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.

Golden Pass, owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, is set to begin exporting as early as later this year, and once operational, will become the ninth large-scale export terminal operating in the United States. Once completed, Golden Pass will be able to export up to 2.57 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas as LNG and will bring unprecedented levels of LNG exports from the United States.

The approval will grant additional time to begin LNG exports to large markets in Asia and Europe from the $10 billion project under construction in Sabine Pass, according to Reuters.

The project could begin exporting as early as later this year. Once up, it will become the ninth large export terminal in the U.S., the DOE said. QatarEnergy owns 70% of the joint venture and ExxonMobil the remainder.

“Golden Pass was the first project approved for exports to non-free trade agreement countries by DOE during the first Trump administration, and it is gratifying that this project is so close to being able to deliver its first LNG,” said Tala Goudarzi, an official in the department’s fossil energy and carbon management division.

The administration of President Donald Trump is approving LNG exports after former President Joe Biden put a pause on them to study the economic and environmental effects of the booming business. The U.S. is the world’s largest LNG exporter.

Golden Pass’s developers asked federal energy regulators in August for a three-year extension to complete construction of the project, saying that a change in primary contractors requires an extension until November, 2029.

If completed, Golden Pass will have the capacity to export up to 2.57 billion cubic feet per day of LNG.