--- title: Energy Department Calls Natural Gas 'Molecules of Freedom' description: The Department of Energy referred to natural gas as "freedom gas" and "molecules of U.S. freedom" in a press release. canonical: https://time.com/5597784/freedom-gas-energy-department/ author: Tara Law article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-05-29T20:28:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:52:47.096Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'Freedom Gas?' 'Molecules of U.S. Freedom?' Trump's Energy Department Unveils New Nicknames for Natural Gas og:description: The unexpected nicknames appeared in a department press release this week og:url: https://time.com/5597784/freedom-gas-energy-department/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt29799d8514d58633/69894a8adb29878cb5262630/natural-gas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Natural-Gas og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Freedom Gas?' 'Molecules of U.S. Freedom?' Trump's Energy Department Unveils New Nicknames for Natural Gas twitter:description: The unexpected nicknames appeared in a department press release this week twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt29799d8514d58633/69894a8adb29878cb5262630/natural-gas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Freedom Gas?' 'Molecules of U.S. Freedom?' Trump's Energy Department Unveils New Nicknames for Natural Gas > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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President Donald Trump showcased his “America First energy policy” on Tuesday during a trip to Louisiana designed to highlight his administration’s efforts to increase liquefied natural gas exports and boost the country’s energy infrastructure._  by [Tara Law](https://time.com/author/tara-law/)  ## Tara Law May 29, 2019 8:28 PM UTC  Smoke rises from a natural gas power plant into the sky outside of Dallas, Texas, United States on Jan. 04, 2018. Smoke rises from a natural gas power plant into the sky outside of Dallas, Texas, United States on Jan. 04, 2018. Anadolu Agency—Getty Images  by [Tara Law](https://time.com/author/tara-law/)  ## Tara Law May 29, 2019 8:28 PM UTC The Department of Energy appears to have a surprising new nickname for natural gas: “freedom gas.” The unexpected new moniker made its debut in a [press release](https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-authorizes-additional-lng-exports-freeport-lng) issued Tuesday to announce the approval of additional liquified natural gas (LNG) exports from a terminal on Quintana Island, Texas. It also included the term “molecules of U.S. freedom.” Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes unveiled the term “freedom gas” in the release, which notes that he highlighted the approval at the Clean Energy Ministerial in Vancouver, Canada. “Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world by giving America’s allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy,” he said. Later in the release, Steven Winberg, the assistant secretary for fossil energy, said the department is promoting an efficient regulatory system to enable “molecules of U.S. freedom to be exported to the world.” Energy Secretary Rick Perry, a former Texas governor, has equated natural gas with “freedom” in the past. In January 2018, Perry told Fox Business that giving allies access to energy choices is a “priceless” kind of freedom. “The United States is not just exporting energy, we’re exporting freedom,” [Perry said](https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5718318851001/#sp=show-clips). One of the first people to have called the export “freedom gas” appears to have been a European journalist from the platform [Euractiv](https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/freedom-gas-us-opens-lng-floodgates-to-europe/). While the Perry was visiting Brussels in April, the journalist asked if “freedom gas” was an accurate description. Perry agreed, saying that the U.S. is “again delivering a form of freedom” to Europe. “And rather than in the form of young American soldiers, it’s in the form of liquefied natural gas.” New technologies, including the process known as fracking, have enabled [an increase](https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n9070us2m.htm) in natural gas production. The industry has won praise as a job-creation engine, and for providing a cheap energy source that produces less atmosphere-damaging carbon dioxide than coal. However, scientists warn that natural gas emits a significant amount of [methane](http://time.com/5318980/natural-gas-climate-change-methane/) — a gas that contributes to global warming. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5597784/freedom-gas-energy-department/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5597784/freedom-gas-energy-department/"},"headline":"'Freedom Gas?' 'Molecules of U.S. Freedom?' 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