[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3760-3762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00531]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 16-144-LNG]


Driftwood LNG, LLC; Application for Long-Term, Multi-Contract 
Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade 
Agreement Nations

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 
September 28, 2016, by Driftwood LNG, LLC (Driftwood LNG), requesting 
long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 1,496.5 billion 
cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (4.1 Bcf per day). 
Driftwood LNG seeks authorization to export the LNG by vessel from the 
proposed Driftwood LNG Facility to be located in Calcasieu Parish, 
Louisiana, approximately five miles south of the town of Carlyss, 
Louisiana. Driftwood LNG requests authorization to export LNG to any 
nation with which the United States does not have a free trade

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agreement (FTA) that requires national treatment for trade in natural 
gas and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-
FTA countries) for a 20-year term to commence on the earlier of the 
date of first export or seven years from the date the requested 
authorization is issued. Driftwood LNG seeks to export this LNG on its 
own behalf and as agent for other entities who 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 the 
Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: http://www.energy.gov/fe/downloads/driftwood-lng-llc-fe-dkt-16-144-lng. 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, March 13, 
2017.

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: 
Kyle W. Moorman or Larine Moore, 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, (202) 586-7970; (202) 586-9578.
Cassandra Bernstein, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-76) Office of the 
Assistant General Counsel for Electricity and Fossil Energy, Forrestal 
Building1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-
9793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  In the Application, Driftwood LNG also 
requests authorization to export the same cumulative volume of LNG to 
any country that currently has, or in the future 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) for a 
term of 30 years. DOE/FE will review that request separately pursuant 
to section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 U.S.C. 717b(c). The 
requested volumes in the FTA portion and NFTA portion of the 
Application are not additive.

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, and U.S. energy 
security. DOE may also consider other factors bearing on the public 
interest, including the impact of the proposed exports on the U.S. 
economy 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. As part of this analysis, DOE will consider the 
following two studies examining the cumulative impacts of exporting 
domestically produced 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); \1\ 
and
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    \1\ 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).\2\
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    \2\ 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); \3\ and
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    \3\ The Addendum and related documents are available at: https://energy.gov/fe/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).\4\
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    \4\ The Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Report is available at: http://energy.gov/fe/life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-perspective-exporting-liquefied-natural-gas-united-states.

    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. 16-144-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. 16-144-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,

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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 
Office of Regulation and International Engagement 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 January 6, 2017.
John A. Anderson,
Director, Office of Regulation and International Engagement, Office of 
Oil and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2017-00531 Filed 1-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P