[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23909-23911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11013]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 18-26-LNG]


Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. and FLNG Liquefaction 4, LLC; 
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 application.

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[[Page 23910]]

SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on 
March 6, 2018, by Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. and FLNG Liquefaction 4, 
LLC (collectively, FLEX4). The Application requests long-term, multi-
contract authorization to export domestically produced liquefied 
natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 262.8 billion cubic feet 
(Bcf) per year (0.72 Bcf per day) of natural gas. FLEX4 seeks to export 
this LNG from the proposed Train 4 Project, to be constructed at the 
Freeport LNG Terminal on Quintana Island near Freeport, Texas. FLEX4 
states that its affiliates (Freeport LNG Development, L.P., FLNG 
Liquefaction, LLC, FLNG Liquefaction 2, LLC, and FLNG Liquefaction 3, 
LLC) are currently constructing a liquefaction and export facility at 
the Terminal with three previously-authorized liquefaction trains. 
FLEX4 requests authorization to export the LNG to any country with 
which the United States has not entered into 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). FLEX4 seeks to export this LNG on its own behalf and as 
agent for other entities who hold title to the natural gas at the time 
of export. FLEX4 requests the authorization for a 20-year term to 
commence on the earlier of the date of first commercial export from the 
Train 4 Project, or seven years from the issuance of the requested 
authorization. FLEX4 filed the Application under section 3 of the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details can be found in FLEX4's 
Application, posted on the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/04/f50/18-26-LNG_T4_0.pdf. 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, July 23, 
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 or Ronald (R.J.) Colwell, 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; (202) 586-8499.

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. 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: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/08/f18/Addendum.pdf.
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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/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. Interested parties 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. 18-26-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. 18-26-LNG. Please 
Note: If submitting a filing via email, please include all

[[Page 23911]]

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 May 16, 2018.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Division of Natural Gas Regulation, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2018-11013 Filed 5-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P