[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4475-4476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01896]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 18-03-LNG]


Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P., et al.; Application for Blanket 
Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade 
Agreement Countries on a Short-Term Basis

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 
January 4, 2018, by Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P., FLNG Liquefaction 
LLC, FLNG Liquefaction 2, LLC, and FLNG Liquefaction 3, LLC 
(collectively, FLEX). The Application requests blanket authorization to 
export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an amount 
up to the equivalent of 782 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas on 
a cumulative basis over a two-year period, commencing on the earlier of 
the date of first short-term export or September 1, 2018. The LNG would 
be exported from the Freeport LNG Liquefaction Project (Liquefaction 
Project), which is currently under construction at the Freeport LNG 
Terminal on Quintana Island, Texas. FLEX requests authorization to 
export the LNG to any country with the capacity to import LNG via 
ocean-going carrier and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law 
or policy, including both countries with which the United States has 
entered into a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment 
for trade in natural gas (FTA countries) and all other countries (non-
FTA countries). FLEX seeks to export this LNG both before and after 
commercial operations at the Liquefaction Project begin. FLEX requests 
this authorization on its own behalf and as agent for other entities 
who hold title to the natural gas at the time of export. Additional 
details can be found in FLEX's Application, posted on the DOE/FE 
website at: https://energy.gov/fe/downloads/freeport-lng-expansion-lp-fe-dkt-no-18-03-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 2, 
2018.

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) 586-9478.
    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:  FLEX requests a short-term blanket 
authorization to export LNG produced prior to the start of commercial 
operations at its Liquefaction Project, as well as after commercial 
operations begin (as market opportunities arise). FLEX commits that the 
short-term volumes to be exported under the requested authorization, 
when added to any volumes exported under FLEX's existing long-term 
export authorizations, will not exceed the maximum volumes approved 
under those DOE/FE authorizations in any annual (consecutive 12-month) 
period.

DOE/FE Evaluation

    The portion of the Application seeking authority to export LNG on a 
short-term basis to non-FTA countries 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. In reviewing this Application, DOE 
will consider domestic need for the natural gas, as well as any other 
issues determined to be appropriate, including whether the arrangement 
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: 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).\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.
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    Parties that may oppose this Application should address these 
issues and documents in their comments and/

[[Page 4476]]

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. FLEX states that no 
new construction or changes to the Liquefaction Project facilities will 
be required for the short-term exports requested in the Application. No 
final decision will be issued in this proceeding until DOE has met its 
environmental responsibilities.
    Interested persons will be provided 30 days from the date of 
publication of this Notice in which to submit comments, protests, 
motions to intervene, notices of intervention, or motions for 
additional procedures.

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 parties will be provided 30 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. 18-03-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. 18-03-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 
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 26, 2018.
Robert J. Smith,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas (Acting), Office of 
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2018-01896 Filed 1-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P