The United States cannot approve or build liquefied natural gas,
or LNG, export terminals fast enough to appease countries
looking for cheaper energy. While there are many destinations
from Europe to Asia that will be on the customer list, perhaps
the most obvious finish line is Japan. The island nation is at
the world's mercy for much of its energy; it's the world's
largest importer of LNG, second-largest importer of coal, and
third-largest net importer of oil. Japan is acutely aware of its
dependency on foreign sources of energy and is feverishly
seeking cheaper power supplies. But even the pursuit of American
gas, which is about one-sixth the price of Asian market prices,
has not stopped the country from looking for longer-term
solutions. Japan's latest idea, if successful, could
fundamentally change the global market and have major
implications for domestic natural gas. The future is cold
Anytime a country is 28th in total energy production and 5th in
consumption, it has to entertain some crazy ideas for