[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40269-40271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17437]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 18-78-LNG]


Corpus Christi Liquefaction Stage III, 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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SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on 
June 29, 2018, by Corpus Christi Liquefaction Stage III, LLC (CCL Stage 
III), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, Inc. The 
Application requests long-term, multi-contract authorization to export 
domestically produced liquefied natural

[[Page 40270]]

gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 582.14 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per 
year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (1.59 Bcf per day). CCL Stage III seeks to 
export this LNG from the proposed natural gas liquefaction and export 
facilities (Stage 3 LNG Facilities) associated with the Stage 3 Project 
at the existing Corpus Christi LNG Terminal in San Patricio and Nueces 
Counties, Texas. CCL Stage III requests authorization to export this 
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). CCL Stage III notes that, in DOE/FE Order 
No. 3638, DOE previously authorized the export of LNG from the Corpus 
Christi LNG Terminal by its affiliates--Corpus Christi Liquefaction, 
LLC and Cheniere Marketing, LLC--to non-FTA countries in a volume 
equivalent to 767 Bcf/yr of LNG. CCL Stage III seeks to export the 
requested volume of LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other 
entities who hold title to the natural gas at the time of export. CCL 
Stage III requests the authorization for a 20-year term to commence on 
the earlier of the date of first commercial export of LNG produced by 
the Stage 3 LNG Facilities or seven years from the issuance of the 
requested authorization. CCL Stage III filed the Application under 
section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details and related 
procedural history can be found in CCL Stage III's Application, posted 
on the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/07/f53/18-78-LNG.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, October 15, 
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: 
Benjamin Nussdorf 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

    In the Application, CCL Stage III requests authorization to export 
LNG from the proposed Stage 3 LNG Facilities to both FTA countries and 
non-FTA countries. This Notice applies only to the portion of the 
Application requesting authority to export LNG to non-FTA countries 
pursuant to section 3(a) of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a). DOE/FE will 
review CCL Stage III's request for a FTA export authorization 
separately pursuant to section 3(c) of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(c).
    In reviewing CCL Stage III's request for a non-FTA authorization, 
DOE will consider any issues required by law or policy. 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 one 
or more of the following 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\
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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\ and
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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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     Macroeconomic Outcomes of Market Determined Levels of U.S. 
LNG Exports, conducted by NERA Economic Consulting on behalf of DOE 
(2018 LNG Export Study).\3\
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    \3\ The 2018 LNG Export Study, dated June 7, 2018, is available 
at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/06/f52/Macroeconomic%20LNG%20Export%20Study%202018.pdf. DOE is currently 
evaluating public comments received on this Study (83 FR 27314).
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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); \4\ and
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    \4\ 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).\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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    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.

[[Page 40271]]

    Filings may be submitted using one of the following methods: (1) 
Emailing the filing to [email protected], with FE Docket No. 18-78-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. 18-78-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.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on August 7, 2018.
Shawn Bennett,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Oil and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2018-17437 Filed 8-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P