(The Center Square) – Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel stood together on stage Tuesday at a global energy summit in a call for “lightning speed” policy changes to support American energy exports.
The two spoke at the annual CERAWeek in Houston, an event sometimes called the Super Bowl of the global energy industry because it draws thousands of the world’s top executives and policymakers.
Sabel said Venture Global aims to more than double its current liquified natural gas export capacity from 37 million tons a year to 85 million tons per year by 2029 – an increase that would help to stabilize global energy markets roiled by ongoing uncertainty.
Global oil and gas prices are at near four-year highs following the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on the energy infrastructure of countries neighboring Iran. Included is a missile strike that seriously damaged an export facility in Qatar that had provided about 17% of world LNG supplies.
“We’re working right now with countries around the world to bring in some critical cargoes,” Sabel said in response to a question about Venture Global’s current sales activity.
Arlington, Va.-based Venture Global expects it will be the largest exporter of U.S. LNG by 2029 based on expansions at the CP2 plant in Cameron Parish and the Plaquemines facility near New Orleans along with continued advancements in efficiency. The company’s first LNG plant, Calcasieu Pass, reached full service in April 2025. The company is the second largest LNG exporter in America.
Landry said Louisiana would not limit the number of LNG plants because the state already has pipelines, deepwater ports, and other infrastructure needed to support the industry’s growth.
The governor echoed Sabel’s concerns that federal legal and regulatory challenges are the “primary impediment” to bringing large LNG and nuclear projects online. Sabel said the complexity of the regulatory process is the primary challenge for developers of LNG projects.
Although regulatory hurdles present significant challenges to project developers, Landry identified a shortage of labor as the single greatest threat to the state’s continued growth.
The governor launched his administration’s “lightning speed” initiative in early 2026 with an executive order that formalizes a “whole-of-government approach” in a push to move large industrial projects more rapidly through Louisiana’s regulatory process by establishing cabinet-level liaisons and increasing coordination between state agencies. The governor’s executive action mandates that state agencies operate at the “speed of business.”
Ventrue Global’s Sable said environmental reviews and related documentation often run into “tens of thousands of pages” for a single LNG development project. Even still, Sabel said, projects that receive the initial approvals from regulators often face “boundless” legal challenges and “extended procedural wrangling,” with construction delayed for years.
The Venture Global CEO noted that 31% of the company’s 2026 output is not tied to long-term deals and currently available for sale in global LNG markets. According to Sabel, these uncontracted volumes are being prioritized for countries in Asia and Europe most impacted by the ongoing disruption of Middle Eastern supplies.
Landry said Louisiana is using the energy sector’s strength to pivot into data centers and carbon capture in an effort to diversify the state’s economy.
