As energy prices for US households soar nationwide, Democratic and progressive lawmakers are calling on the energy department to stop increasing exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“The Trump administration’s LNG export policies are not putting America first: they have jacked up utility prices for families, leaving many Americans struggling with the cost of heating their homes this winter,” reads a letter to energy secretary Chris Wright, sent Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Independent senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and seven others.

Exports of LNG – methane gas that is cooled and turned into a liquid for easier long-distance transport – boomed under former president Joe Biden. Since Trump re-entered office last January, they have soared even higher, growing 26% in 2025 with an additional 8% increase expected this year, according to federal data.

Last year, the US became the first country in history to export more than 100m metric tons of the fuel in a single year, a fact the White House has touted with pride.