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The controversy over US coal and natural gas exports / Joel Darmstadter, Resources for the Future, March 2013, 20 p. (Issue Brief 13-01)http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFF-IB-13-01.pdfKey Points (© RFF) :Coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports will almost surely confer net economic benefits to the United States.Withholding US coal exports is a self-inflicted wound; other producers can fill the gap to meet world demand.LNG exports signify a range of possible domestic natural gas price increases, but most estimates point to price levels still well below those experienced a decade ago.Aggravated domestic environmental impacts from export-caused increases in coal and natural gas output must be viewed in context. Compared to environmental oversight over much larger output serving domestic needs, this incremental burden seems manageable.A casual, politically driven retreat from its traditional freetrade commitment is scarcely in the interest of the United States.&#160;