[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11202-11203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04733]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 12-32-LNG]


Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P.; Amendment of Application for 
Long-Term, Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free 
Trade Agreement Nations

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of receipt of an amendment (Amendment), filed on 
October 5, 2015, by Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. (Jordan Cove) of 
its pending Application in this proceeding. The Application, filed on 
March 23, 2012, seeks authority to export domestically produced 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 292 Bcf/yr (0.8 
Bcf/day) from a proposed terminal to be located on Coos Bay in the 
State of Oregon to nations with which the United States does not have a 
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in 
natural gas (non-FTA nations). DOE published a ``Notice of 
Application'' in the Federal Register on June 6, 2012. 77 Fed.Reg. 
33446. DOE/FE received five motions to intervene in the proceeding and 
numerous comments for and against the proposed export authorization.
    The Amendment seeks to increase the volume of LNG for which Jordan 
Cove requests export authorization from the equivalent of 292 Bcf/yr to 
the equivalent of 350 Bcf/yr of natural gas (0.96 Bcf/day). On March 
24, 2014, the Department of Energy issued DOE/FE Order No. 3413, 
conditionally granting Jordan Cove's Application.\1\ DOE/FE has not yet 
issued a final order on the pending Application.
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    \1\ Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P., DOE/FE Order No. 3413, FE 
Docket No. 12-32-LNG, Order Conditionally Granting Long-Term Multi-
Contract Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas By Vessel 
From the Jordan Cove LNG Terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon to Non-Free 
Trade Agreement Nations (Mar. 24, 2014).
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    In its Amendment, Jordan Cove states that it is increasing its 
requested volume by 58 Bcf/yr in order to reflect the maximum 
production capacity of the Facility of 6.8 million metric tons per 
annum (mtpa) of LNG.\2\ According to Jordan Cove, the 6.8 million mtpa 
of LNG equates to 350 Bcf/yr of natural gas, which may be available for 
export.\3\ Jordan Cove asserts that the Amendment to increase the 
volume of its requested authorization does not alter the findings in 
the conditional export authorization in DOE/FE Order No. 3413 that the 
proposed exports have not been shown to be inconsistent with the public 
interest. Nor, Jordan Cove submits, will the increase in authorized 
export volumes entail environmental consequences.\4\
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    \2\ Amendment at 3.
    \3\ Amendment at 5.
    \4\ Amendment at 8.
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    Additional details can be found in Jordan Cove's Amendment, posted 
on the DOE/FE Web site at: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/gasregulation/authorizations/2012_applications/2015-10-05_JCEP_Amendment_of_NFTA__Appli.pdf.
    Because the Amendment represents a substantive and material change 
in the Application, DOE has determined to publish this notice in the 
Federal Register, thereby providing the pubic with an opportunity to 
intervene, comment, and/or protest the Amendment. The Applicant 
separately has served the Amendment on each of the parties that have 
previously intervened in this proceeding.
    Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and 
written comments addressing the Amendment 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, March 23, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic Filing by email: [email protected].
    Regular Mail: U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of 
Regulation and International Engagement, 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 Regulation and 
International Engagement, 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 Regulation and International

[[Page 11203]]

Engagement, 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 Amendment will be reviewed in conjunction with our review of 
the underlying Application 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 Amendment is consistent with DOE's 
policy of promoting competition in the marketplace by allowing 
commercial parties to freely negotiate their own trade arrangements. As 
part of this analysis, DOE will consider the following two studies 
examining the cumulative impacts of LNG:
     Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas on 
U.S. Energy Markets, conducted by the U.S. Energy Information 
Administration upon DOE's request (2014 EIA LNG Export Study); \5\ and
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    \5\ The 2014 EIA LNG Export Study, published on Oct. 29, 2014, 
is available at: https://www.eia.gov/analysis/requests/fe/.
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     The Macroeconomic Impact of Increasing U.S. LNG Exports, 
conducted jointly by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's 
Baker Institute for Public Policy and Oxford Economics, on behalf of 
DOE (2015 LNG Export Study).\6\
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    \6\ The 2015 LNG Export Study, dated Oct. 29, 2015, is available 
at: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/12/f27/20151113_macro_impact_of_lng_exports_0.pdf.
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    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); \7\ and
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    \7\ 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).\8\
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    \8\ 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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    Parties that may oppose the Amendment to the Application should 
address the basis for their opposition to the Amendment, as well as 
other issues deemed relevant to the Amendment, in their comments and/or 
protests.
    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. Interested persons will be provided 20 days from the date 
of publication of this Notice in which to submit comments, protests, 
motions to intervene, or notices of intervention. Comments and protests 
should address the implications of the Amendment. Because the public 
previously was given an opportunity to intervene in, protest, and 
comment on the Application, DOE/FE may disregard comments or protests 
on the Application that do not bear directly on the Amendment.
    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. 12-32-LNG 
in the title line; (2) mailing an original and three paper copies of 
the filing to the Office of Regulation and International Engagement at 
the address listed in ADDRESSES; or (3) hand delivering an original and 
three paper copies of the filing to the Office of Regulation and 
International Engagement at the address listed in ADDRESSES. All 
filings must include a reference to FE Docket No. 12-32-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 Amendment 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 
Amendment and responses filed by parties pursuant to this notice, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 590.316.
    The Amendment is available for inspection and copying in the 
Division of Natural Gas Regulation 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 Amendment 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 February 26, 2016.
Amy R. Sweeney,
Director, Division of Natural Gas Regulation, Office of Oil and Natural 
Gas.
[FR Doc. 2016-04733 Filed 3-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P