A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered the Biden administration to resume issuing permits for new LNG export facilities, following a lawsuit from 16 states challenging the pause on approvals, citing economic harm. The pause, initiated by President Biden in January to assess the environmental impact, faced opposition from states like Louisiana, Texas, and Alaska, claiming it violated federal laws. The judge's decision highlighted the states' losses in jobs and revenue due to the permit halt, aligning with concerns about potential economic impacts. The administration's reasoning for the pause was to evaluate the economic and environmental effects of LNG export projects, causing uncertainty for pending ventures like Venture Global's CP2 project in Louisiana.