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Louisiana LNG exports critical to Trump energy plans | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-20 15:19:00


The Trump administration has selected McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as the first National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Safety. This center, established under the 2020 PIPES Act, will focus on LNG safety, research, training, and regulatory coordination. Louisiana’s strategic role in LNG production and export, particularly in Lake Charles, was emphasized by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The center will enhance workforce development, industry collaboration, and LNG safety solutions. Louisiana, a key LNG hub, benefits from major LNG export projects, including one involving the largest foreign investment in the state’s history.

(The Center Square) – Louisiana is critical to the Trump administration’s energy plans, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The Trump administration selected McNeese State University as the site for a new center of excellence.

The Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has selected the Lake Charles-based university as its first National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Safety. It’s the first undergraduate institution in the U.S. to offer a certificate program in LNG Business. The university already offers its own LNG Center of Excellence.

“Producing and exporting LNG is one of the most powerful ways we can unleash American energy, and the Lake Charles region is a critical hub of LNG activity in the U.S.,” Duffy said. “The sheer volume of product supplied by the state of Louisiana is unparalleled and growing, and there is no better place to locate our Center of Excellence.”

The designation came after U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA, established the PHMSA National Center of Excellence for LNG five years ago in the 2020 PIPES Act under the first Trump administration. Included in the law was a provision Kennedy added to create “the first-ever National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety, but I didn’t stop there,” Kennedy said. “I made sure in that bill that the newly created Center was required to be in Louisiana.”

Under Trump’s second term, the center was chosen to be headquartered at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, an oil and natural gas powerhouse in Calcasieu Parish along the Gulf of America.

The PIPES Act, which improves pipeline safety and infrastructure, created the PHMSA center to “enhance the United States as the leader and foremost expert in LNG operations by furthering the expertise of the Federal Government in the operations, management, and regulatory practices of LNG facilities; acting as a repository of information on best practices for the operation of LNG facilities; and facilitating collaboration among LNG sector stakeholders.”

The center will facilitate research and development, training, and regulatory coordination to develop “LNG safety solutions to real-world challenges through global and domestic collaboration among LNG stakeholders.”

“The Center will advance LNG safety by promoting collaboration among government agencies, industry, academia, and other safety partners,” PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman said. “Consolidating such remarkable levels of expertise will benefit the LNG sector for many generations to come.”

Being located at McNeese “will be a game-changer for our region in terms of workforce development and groundbreaking research,” McNeese State University President Dr. Wade Rousse said. “We are excited to be on the forefront of helping ensure safety and sustainability in the energy sector and look forward to working with PHMSA to develop a world-class facility to house their staff.”

The U.S. is the top LNG exporter in the world, with the U.S. oil and natural gas industry and Louisiana and Texas ports propelling it to its number one status, The Center Square reported.

Lake Charles also found itself at the center of a Biden administration LNG export ban. Applications for exports had been frozen until a federal judge reversed the Biden policy last year. Under the second Trump administration, LNG exports projects are expanding in Louisiana.

Major projects underway in Calcasieu Parish include an Energy Transfer subsidiary Lake Charles Exports LNG export project approved under the first Trump administration in late 2019 for a five-year extension. Building the facility is projected to create up to 4,000 construction jobs and 200 fulltime jobs once fully operational.

Another LNG project announced last month is being spearheaded by a west Australian company that’s making the largest foreign investment in state history to build an LNG production and export terminal in Calcasieu Parish, The Center Square reported.

The post Louisiana LNG exports critical to Trump energy plans | Louisiana appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on developments related to LNG energy initiatives, highlighting the Trump administration’s and Republican Senator John Kennedy’s roles in establishing a National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety in Louisiana. The tone is largely positive about these efforts and frames the Trump administration’s energy plans and policies as effective and beneficial. The inclusion of references to the Biden administration’s LNG export freeze, described as an “export ban,” and the subsequent federal judge reversal adds a subtle critique of the current administration’s approach. The language and framing emphasize the pro-energy, pro-industry perspective often associated with conservative and center-right viewpoints, without explicitly attacking opposing views or presenting a broader political debate. Overall, while largely factual, the article leans toward a center-right bias by favorably portraying Republican-led policies and initiatives and framing them as drivers of economic growth and energy leadership.

News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

New Orleans City Council overrides Mayor Cantrell’s veto on French Quarter trash contract, Charity Hospital

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wgno.com – Ashley Hamilton – 2025-07-10 16:11:00

SUMMARY: The New Orleans City Council voted 5-1 to override Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s emergency declaration, allowing Henry Consulting to take over trash collection in the French Quarter. Council President JP Morrell criticized the mayor for overstepping by ending IV Waste’s contract early and awarding Henry Consulting the contract without proper process. Residents and businesses favor keeping IV Waste, and concerns were raised about the quick contractor change. The city defends the emergency contract and selection process, emphasizing Henry Consulting’s top ranking in a competitive RFP. Henry Consulting expects to begin service on July 31. The council also overrode Cantrell’s veto on funding for Charity Hospital redevelopment.

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Kerrville native living in New Orleans reflects on heartbreak in his hometown

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www.youtube.com – WDSU News – 2025-07-10 10:26:51

SUMMARY: Parker Kennedy, a Kerrville native now living in New Orleans, reflects on the devastating flooding affecting his small hometown. Once a community of 20,000, Kerrville has been thrust into heartbreaking headlines due to the tragedy, including loss of life impacting people Parker personally knows. Though his family is safe, the pain is deep as he mourns friends lost, including a close friend’s daughter. Motivated to help, Parker is donating 10% of all sales from his Uptown New Orleans store in July to Kerrville relief foundations, supporting survivors and animals. He honors the memories of those lost and wants others to know Kerrville’s unique spirit beyond this tragedy.

Kerrville native living in New Orleans reflects on heartbreak in his hometown

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Marines to assist ICE at Louisiana detention centers

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thecurrentla.com – Alena Maschke – 2025-07-10 09:15:00

SUMMARY: Up to 200 Marines are deploying to Louisiana to support ICE by performing administrative, logistical, and clerical duties at detention facilities. They will not engage in law enforcement or have direct contact with detainees. This is part of a broader mobilization approved in May, involving up to 700 troops across several states, including Florida and Texas. Louisiana holds the second-largest immigrant detainee population after Texas, with facilities often operating over capacity. The Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center, near Lafayette, is nearly twice over capacity and has faced repeated complaints about human rights abuses and unsanitary conditions. ICE continues expanding its detention network amid rising detainee numbers.

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