Cameron Parish, a coastal county in Louisiana, has transformed from a hurricane-devastated area in 2005 to the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Hurricane Rita destroyed or badly damaged over 90% of homes in the parish, incurring a repair bill of $2.75bn (£2bn).
Today, the county is home to the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal, which began sending fuel overseas in 2016 and can process 29.5 million tonnes annually. Two other LNG terminals operate in Cameron Parish, with a fourth, Commonwealth LNG, currently under construction and expected to produce 9.5 million tonnes of LNG a year by 2030.
The US has become the world's largest LNG supplier, with Louisiana accounting for approximately 60% of these exports. Two-thirds of Louisiana's LNG exports originate from Cameron Parish. This boom has led to projections of over $4bn in tax revenues for the parish over the next decade.
Europe's demand for American LNG has increased significantly, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the recent US-Israel conflict with Iran. The US now supplies about two-thirds of Europe's gas imports, an increase from roughly a quarter in 2021. However, this reliance has contributed to higher energy prices in Europe, with German industrial gas bills climbing and household electricity and gas prices rising across the EU.