Wiped out by a hurricane, this US community is now a global energy giant

Here is a story making headlines in the economy: Wiped out by a hurricane, this US community is now a global energy giantImage source, via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Sabine Pass liquid natural gas export terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, is the world's largestByNathalie JimenezBusiness reporterPublished30 July 2026Michael Fewell points out that his corner of Louisiana has seen a remarkable improvement in its fortunes. Back in 2005, Hurricane Rita ripped through the coastal county of Cameron Parish, destroying or badly damaging more than 90% of homes, with a repair bill of $2. "It looked like a war zone," says Fewell, who was 16 at the time.

He spent days driving his truck around towns, collecting dead cattle flung into people's homes and lining the roads. Between stops, he watched National Guard helicopters fly in vital drinking water. "They were, by far, some of the darkest days of my life.

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"Fast forward to today, and Fewell is now president of the elected council that runs the county. And he says that Cameron Parish, population approximately 4,700, is on course to become one of the wealthiest counties in the region. "We are going to have more money than we need.

"It is all down to the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany Published28 MayOil price dives as US and Iran pause attacks Published3 days agoWhat is LNG and why has it become so important? Published16 November 2022Today on a marsh in Cameron where cattle once grazed sits the world's largest LNG export terminal - Sabine Pass, which started to send the fuel overseas in 2016.

LNG is created by super-chilling natural gas down to -162C (-260F), which condenses it into a liquid. This reduces its volume by 600 times, requiring significantly less space for its storage and transportation by tanker ships. Sabine Pass alone can process 29.

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5 million tonnes a year. The county is also home to another two LNG terminals, and a fourth is under construction. Work on the latter, called Commonwealth LNG and costing $13bn, started in May.

It is expected to produce 9. 5 million tonnes of LNG a year by 2030 - enough to heat six million homes. Across all its LNG terminals, Cameron Parish is projected to receive tax revenues of more than $4bn over the next decade.

Go back a decade and the US barely exported any LNG, but it is now the world's biggest supplier, and Louisiana ships around 60% of it, sourced via pipelines from elsewhere in the state, Texas, and even from as far away as Pennsylvania. Two thirds of the Louisiana's LNG exports go from Cameron. Image source, Michael FewellImage caption, Michael Fewell says that Cameron Parish now has a bright futureTim Wyatt, president of Commonwealth's parent company, Caturus, says that amidst global instability the US is experiencing an LNG boom for a reason.

Economists are analysing what the news means for the markets.