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What began as an apparent attempt by the Biden administration to punish Texas over the border dispute turns out to be part of a successful campaign by wealthy donors – including the Rockefeller family – to pressure the government into shifting away from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

As the Wall Street Journal reports, "The Rockefellers, along with other wealthy donors including the philanthropy of Michael Bloomberg, have provided millions of dollars in recent years to front-line environmental groups that are campaigning against fossil-fuel projects, including LNG terminals that have been proposed on the Gulf Coast," according to anonymous people familiar with the effort, which they claim is four years in the making.

Last month, the Biden administration effectively froze the approval process for new LNG terminals after the United States was crowned the world's largest exporter of the commodity. According to the report, admin officials were influenced by environmental groups, as well as new research on emmissions from LNG facilities.

The move rattled the oil and gas industry, prompting House Republicans to hold a hearing on Tueseday – and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to announce an investigation into the decision.

Enter: The Rockefeller Family

In 2018, a fund created by the heirs of John D. Rockefeller (the Rockefeller Family Fund) launched a green fund called the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas. Its purpose was to call attention to the US's status as a massive exporter of oil and gas, and to encourage the green movement to take action. Some of the Rockefeller heirs have been campaigning for years against Exxon Mobil – a descendant of Standard Oil – the fossil-fuel company founded by their ancestor.

In 2019, the Funder Collaborative sent a memo to NGOs to assess their level of interest in a campaign to take on the LNG industry. They dispatched scouts to Gulf Coast, home to several LNG facilities, and met with front-line leaders and organizers in opposition to new projects.

Maybe they want higher prices?

As the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee laid out in a Feb. 4 memo, banning American LNG exports won't lower domestic energy prices – in fact, "Banning LNG exports will actually mean higher prices at home for Americans."

What's more, preventing exports of LNG to various foreign countries will make them lean more on coal, resulting in more carbon emissions – not less.

The memo also notes that banning LNG exports is not good for the environment.

The Journal's own comments section is all over this:

So, higher prices and more reliance on coal around the world. Mission accomplished?