Qatar energy minister: I don’t ‘worry much’ about Trump’s vow to lift LNG exports cap
Qatar’s Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida Al Kaabi speaks at a press conference in Doha on Sept. 1, 2024.
Karim Jaafar | Afp | Getty Images
Qatar’s energy minister said he isn’t too concerned about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to lift the cap on liquefied natural gas exports.
“Additional gas is going to be required, whether it is from the U.S., Qatar or other places. So additional LNG and additional competition is welcome,” Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister and CEO of state gas company QatarEnergy, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the Doha Forum on Dec. 7.
“If you open up LNG and say we are going to export another 300 million tons … or 500 million tons from the U.S., all these projects are driven by private enterprises that look at the commercial viability of projects, and there is going to be a limit.”
“It will all depend on supply, demand and the long-term outlook for these companies,” he added, saying “I don’t worry much about it.”
Trump wants to “drill, baby, drill” — in other words, boost domestic oil and natural gas production. His transition team is putting together an energy package to roll out within days after he takes office that would approve export permits for new LNG projects and increase oil drilling in the country, Reuters reported.
“If you take a decision to have an LNG facility or an export facility, and decide to do it today, it takes six to 10 years to actually have it up and running and operational,” he said, stressing that it is not a “switch on, switch off” move.
The U.S. and Qatar have held onto their position as the world’s biggest LNG suppliers, with a combined market share of almost 50%. Competition between the two major exporters has intensified this year after Europe’s decision to phase out reliance on Russia’s pipeline gas and as U.S. suppliers quickly filled the supply gap.
Kaabi said the European Union needs to “thoroughly” review the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive — which requires large companies to “identify and address” negative environmental impacts, among others, in their operations.
The penalty can go up to 5% of a company’s total generated revenue, Kaabi added, stressing that it would “harm” European companies and those operating in the bloc, which will be subject to take higher costs to complete the due diligence.
The CSDDD, which will take effect in 2027, is estimated to affect around 5,500 EU-based companies and at least 1,000 non-EU companies with significant business in the region, Reuters reported in July.
The Qatar Investment Authority — which manages estimated $510 billion in assets, according to the Global SWF — and other fund managers would consider pulling investment out of EU to avoid penalties, he added.
“It is very serious for them,” Kaabi said, adding that the European economies “are not doing great, so they need foreign direct investments, and they need support.”
In his latest crackdown on e-bike riders, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pushing for a new citywide e-bike speed limit of 15 mph (25 km/h), despite the fact that no one seems to know how it would actually be enforced.
The proposal, introduced last month as part of a broader package aimed at improving safety on city streets, would make it illegal to ride an e-bike over 15 mph. But experts, advocates, and even city officials are scratching their heads about how the rule would work in practice.
Most consumer e-bikes are already sold with speed limits in place: 20 mph (32 km/h) for throttle assist and 28 mph (45 km/) for pedal assist, per classifications used in the majority of states in the US. Yet those limits are controlled by the bike’s electronics, not by any city infrastructure.
According to reporting by Hell Gate NYC, even the Mayor’s own office couldn’t explain what the enforcement mechanism would look like, and no single agency has so far been put in charge of enforcing the speed limit. Will the city mandate software modifications such as those that limit Class 3 e-bikes to 25 mph (40 km/h) in NYC? Would they rely on radar guns like traditional speeding enforcement for cars? Install speed cameras that can identify bikes? So far, there are no answers.
Citi Bike has already reduced its electric bicycle fleet’s speed limits to 15 mph, but that only impacts shared e-bikes used in the city. Complicating matters further is the fact that most delivery riders – who are clearly the unspoken target of this policy – don’t use mainstream e-bikes from the major manufacturers, or even those that can accept firmware updates to adjust speed and power. Many of them ride inexpensive, sometimes heavily modified throttle bikes purchased online or from bike shops like FLY that cater to these types of riders. Such e-bikes often lack more sophisticated software speed-limiting features, and few, if any, have any form of digital connectivity that could allow for remote speed capping.
City transportation experts note that enforcement of speed limits on e-bikes is nearly impossible without clocking and stopping each rider. Unlike cars, bikes don’t have license plates. And even if a bike is capable of going faster than 15 mph, it doesn’t mean the rider is actually breaking the law – unless caught in the act. Nearly every car in NYC can likely push close to or past 100 mph (160 km/h), despite the city wide’s vehicular speed limit of just 25 mph. Advocates have also questioned the wisdom of focusing on e-bike speed while car crashes continue to injure and kill far more people.
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Environment
Range Rover’s electric SUV won’t launch this year after a surprise delay, but there’s more
Range Rover’s first EV was initially scheduled to arrive later this year, but that won’t be the case. JLR has delayed the launch of the Range Rover Electric after telling customers they will have to wait a little longer. However, that may not be the only EV JLR is delaying.
Range Rover Electric and Jaguar EVs are being delayed
Although the electric SUV was originally due to hit showrooms in late 2025, it’s now being pushed back until next year.
The British automaker claimed it needed more time for testing while it waited for stronger demand. However, there’s more to the story. According to The Guardian, Jaguar Land Rover wrote to clients waiting for the Range Rover Electric, telling them deliveries will not start until 2026.
Sources close to the matter said the delay could also impact two Jaguar EV models, including the radical blue-and-pink Type 00 Concept. Jaguar’s electric vehicles are expected to be delayed by several months.
The news comes after JLR announced plans to cut up to 500 management positions in the UK this week. Britain’s largest carmaker was hit hard by the Trump Administration’s new auto tariffs.
JLR’s sales plunged over 15% in the previous quarter after the company was forced to temporarily halt shipments to the US.
A company spokesperson confirmed that “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands,” adding “we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”
Range Rover’s first electric SUV has secured over 61,000 customers on the waiting list. JLR claims it’s currently undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured.”
An electric version of the Velar is due for a radical new look. It’s scheduled for production in April 2026, but that could also be delayed. An electric Defender is due out in early 2027.
Meanwhile, production on Jaguar’s new EV, its first since the I-PACE, is set to begin in August 2026. Jaguar’s electric GT is expected to cost over £100,000 ($135,000) as part of its brand revamp. Its second EV may not launch until December 2027 now.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Aventon and Lectric, a surge in Amish riding e-bikes, a wireless charging kickstand, cheaper electric motorcycles coming from Honda and LiveWire and more.
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
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