Letter from Houston: Pragmatism versus rhetoric

The US’ contentious LNG permitting pause has prompted criticism from CEOs and wildly differing interpretations from politicians

Politics tends to be more dramatic and theatrical in the US than in the UK. But does the energy sector benefit from adopting any of that rhetorical flair and aggression? This year’s CERAWeek conference in Houston in March attracted both senior Republican and Democratic politicians, as well as a galaxy of CEOs and industry figures. A key topic of discussion was the federal government’s permitting pause for LNG developments, a move that was broadly—and unsurprisingly—unpopular at the conference but was still described and interpreted in wildly different ways by various speakers and delegates. US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm offered a cheerfully upbeat version of federal policy, emphasisi