[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49373-49374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21269]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 18-137-LNG]


Cheniere Marketing, LLC and Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC; 
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 (Notice) of receipt of an application (Application), 
filed on September 14, 2018, by Cheniere Marketing, LLC and Corpus 
Christi Liquefaction, LLC (collectively, Corpus Christi). Corpus 
Christi filed a supplement to the Application on September 24, 2018. 
The Application requests blanket authorization to export domestically 
produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an amount up to the equivalent 
of 767 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 
export or December 31, 2018. Corpus Christi seeks to export this LNG 
from the Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project (Liquefaction Project), 
which is currently under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas. Corpus 
Christi 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). Corpus Christi requests 
this authorization on its own behalf and as agent for other entities 
who hold title to the LNG at the time of export. Corpus Christi filed 
the Application under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). 
Additional details can be found in Corpus Christi's Application, posted 
on the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/fe/cheniere-marketing-llc-and-corpus-christi-liquefaction-llc-18-137-lng-3. 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 31, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic Filing by Email: [email protected].
    Regular Mail: U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of 
Regulation, Analysis, and 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, 
Analysis, and 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, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Fossil 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7893 or (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 or (202) 586-8499

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Corpus Christ requests a short-term blanket 
authorization to export LNG from its Liquefaction Project located in 
Corpus Christi, Texas, to both FTA and non-FTA countries. Corpus 
Christi commits that the short-term volumes to be exported under the 
requested authorization, when added to any

[[Page 49374]]

volumes exported under Corpus Christi's existing long-term export 
authorizations, will not exceed the maximum volumes approved under 
those DOE/FE authorizations in any annual (i.e., consecutive 12-month) 
period.

DOE/FE Evaluation

    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 Corpus 
Christi's request for a FTA export authorization separately pursuant to 
section 3(c) of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(c).
    In reviewing Corpus Christ's request for a non-FTA export 
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: 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).\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.

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. Corpus Christi states 
that no changes to the Liquefaction Project 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.

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. 18-137-LNG 
in the title line; (2) mailing an original and three paper copies of 
the filing to the Office of Regulation, Analysis, and 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, Analysis, 
and Engagement at the address listed in ADDRESSES. All filings must 
include a reference to FE Docket No. 18-137-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, Analysis, and 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, notices 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 September 24, 2018.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Division of Natural Gas, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2018-21269 Filed 9-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P