The organization, along with other trade groups, filed what’s known as a “petition for rehearing” on the pause. Such a petition is not a lawsuit, but it could be the first step toward a suit.

Rob Jennings, the American Petroleum Institute’s vice president of natural gas markets, said in a written statement that the pause on new permits is “not only unlawful — it cedes America’s energy advantage to hostile nations while jeopardizing thousands of American jobs.”

Last month, the Biden administration said that it would pause new approvals for some proposed projects so that it could weigh changes to analyses that underlie those approvals. 

The pause only applies to new projects that have not yet been approved and does not impact existing exports or projects that are currently under construction. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.