[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51792-51793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21125]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 15-63-LNG]


Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC; Application for Long-Term, Multi-
Contract Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free 
Trade Agreement Nations for a 20-Year Period

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on 
April 20, 2015, by Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC (SPL), requesting 
long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to approximately 203 
billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (0.56 Bcf per day). 
SPL seeks to export the LNG by vessel from Trains 1 through 4 of the 
Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project (Liquefaction Project), which SPL and 
its affiliate, Sabine Pass LNG, L.P., are currently constructing at the 
existing Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.\1\ SPL 
requests authorization to export this LNG to any country with which the 
United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring 
national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is 
not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries).\2\ DOE/FE 
notes that the requested export volume (203 Bcf/yr) is incremental and 
therefore additive to the volumes of LNG previously authorized for 
export from the Liquefaction Project to non-FTA countries. 
Specifically, SPL states that the grant of this Application will align 
the volumes of LNG authorized for export to non-FTA countries with the 
maximum liquefaction production capacity of the Liquefaction Project, 
as approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.\3\ SPL 
requests the authorization for a 20-year term to commence on the date 
of first commercial export from the Liquefaction Project. SPL seeks to 
export this LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other entities who 
will hold title to the LNG at the time of export. The Application was 
filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details 
can be found in SPL's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: 
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/05/f22/15_63_lng.pdf
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    \1\ SPL states that the requested authorization would require no 
new construction or modification of authorized facilities. App. at 2 
n.4.
    \2\ In a prior application filed in FE Docket No. 14-92-LNG on 
July 11, 2014, SPL requested authorization to export the same volume 
of LNG from the Liquefaction Project (Trains 1-4) to any nation that 
currently has, or may enter into, a FTA requiring national treatment 
for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not prohibited by 
U.S. law or policy (FTA countries). On February 12, 2015, DOE/FE 
granted that request in Order No. 3595 pursuant to NGA Sec.  3(c), 
15 U.S.C. 717b(c). See Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, DOE/FE Order 
No. 3595, FE Docket No. 14-92-LNG, Order Granting Long-Term, Multi-
Contract Authorization to Export Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel 
from the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, to 
Free Trade Agreement Nations (Feb. 12, 2015); Sabine Pass 
Liquefaction, LLC, Errata to DOE/FE Order Nos. 3595 & 3384, FE 
Docket Nos. 14-92-LNG & 13-121-LNG (Feb. 24, 2015). For additional 
procedural history, see Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, DOE/FE Order 
No. 3669, FE Docket Nos. 13-30-LNG, 13-42-LNG, & 13-121-LNG, Final 
Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term, Multi-Contract Authorization 
to Export Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel from the Sabine Pass LNG 
Terminal Located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, to Non-Free Trade 
Agreement Nations, at 18-21 (June 26, 2015).
    \3\ App. at 2 n.5.
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    Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and 
written comments are invited.

DATES: Protests, motions to intervene or notices of intervention, as 
applicable, requests for additional procedures, and written comments 
are to be filed using procedures detailed in the Public Comment 
Procedures section no later than 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, October 26, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: 

Electronic Filing by Email

    [email protected].

Regular Mail

    U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Oil and Gas Global 
Security and Supply, Office of Fossil Energy, P.O. Box 44375, 
Washington, DC 20026-4375.

Hand Delivery or Private Delivery Services (e.g., FedEx, UPS, etc.)

    U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Oil and Gas Global 
Security and Supply, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 
3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Larine Moore or Benjamin Nussdorf, U.S. Department of Energy (FE-
34), Office of Oil and Gas Global Security and Supply, Office of Fossil 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9478; (202) 586-7991.
    Cassandra Bernstein, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-76), Office of 
the Assistant General Counsel for Electricity and Fossil Energy, 
Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, 
(202) 586-9793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

DOE/FE Evaluation

    The Application will be reviewed pursuant to section 3(a) of the 
NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a), and DOE will consider any issues required by 
law or policy. To the extent determined to be relevant, these issues 
will include the domestic need for the natural gas proposed to be 
exported, the adequacy of domestic natural gas supply, U.S. energy 
security, and the cumulative impact of the requested authorization and 
any other LNG export application(s) previously approved on domestic 
natural gas supply and demand fundamentals. DOE may also consider other 
factors bearing on the public interest, including the impact of the 
proposed exports on the U.S. economy (including GDP, consumers, and 
industry), job creation, the U.S. balance of trade, and international 
considerations; and whether the authorization is consistent with DOE's 
policy of promoting competition in the marketplace by allowing 
commercial parties to freely negotiate their own trade arrangements. 
Additionally, DOE will consider the following environmental documents:
     Addendum to Environmental Review Documents Concerning 
Exports of Natural Gas From the United States, 79 FR 48132 (Aug. 15, 
2014); \4\ and
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    \4\ The Addendum and related documents are available at: http://energy.gov/fe/draft-addendum-environmental-review-documents-concerning-exports-natural-gas-united-states.
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     Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting 
Liquefied Natural Gas From the United States, 79 FR 32260 (June 4, 
2014).\5\
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    \5\ The Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Report is available at: http://energy.gov/fe/life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-perspective-exporting-liquefied-natural-gas-united-states.

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[[Page 51793]]

    Parties that may oppose this Application should address these 
issues in their comments and/or protests, as well as other issues 
deemed relevant to the Application.
    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq., requires DOE to give appropriate consideration to the 
environmental effects of its proposed decisions. No final decision will 
be issued in this proceeding until DOE has met its environmental 
responsibilities.

Public Comment Procedures

    In response to this Notice, any person may file a protest, 
comments, or a motion to intervene or notice of intervention, as 
applicable. Due to the complexity of the issues raised by the 
Applicant, interested persons will be provided 60 days from the date of 
publication of this Notice in which to submit comments, protests, 
motions to intervene, or notices of intervention.
    Any person wishing to become a party to the proceeding must file a 
motion to intervene or notice of intervention. The filing of comments 
or a protest with respect to the Application will not serve to make the 
commenter or protestant a party to the proceeding, although protests 
and comments received from persons who are not parties will be 
considered in determining the appropriate action to be taken on the 
Application. All protests, comments, motions to intervene, or notices 
of intervention must meet the requirements specified by the regulations 
in 10 CFR part 590.
    Filings may be submitted using one of the following methods: (1) 
emailing the filing to [email protected], with FE Docket No. 15-63-LNG 
in the title line; (2) mailing an original and three paper copies of 
the filing to the Office of Oil and Gas Global Security and Supply at 
the address listed in ADDRESSES; or (3) hand delivering an original and 
three paper copies of the filing to the Office of Oil and Gas Global 
Supply at the address listed in ADDRESSES. All filings must include a 
reference to FE Docket No. 15-63-LNG. Please Note: If submitting a 
filing via email, please include all related documents and attachments 
(e.g., exhibits) in the original email correspondence. Please do not 
include any active hyperlinks or password protection in any of the 
documents or attachments related to the filing. All electronic filings 
submitted to DOE must follow these guidelines to ensure that all 
documents are filed in a timely manner. Any hardcopy filing submitted 
greater in length than 50 pages must also include, at the time of the 
filing, a digital copy on disk of the entire submission.
    A decisional record on the Application will be developed through 
responses to this notice by parties, including the parties' written 
comments and replies thereto. Additional procedures will be used as 
necessary to achieve a complete understanding of the facts and issues. 
If an additional procedure is scheduled, notice will be provided to all 
parties. If no party requests additional procedures, a final Opinion 
and Order may be issued based on the official record, including the 
Application and responses filed by parties pursuant to this notice, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 590.316.
    The Application is available for inspection and copying in the 
Division of Natural Gas Regulatory Activities docket room, Room 3E-042, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. The docket room is 
open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. The Application and any filed 
protests, motions to intervene or notice of interventions, and comments 
will also be available electronically by going to the following DOE/FE 
Web address: http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/gasregulation/index.html.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 20, 2015.
John A. Anderson,
Director, Office of Oil and Gas Global Security and Supply, Office of 
Oil and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2015-21125 Filed 8-25-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P