[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 212 (Thursday, November 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54922-54923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23867]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 16-144-LNG]


Driftwood LNG LLC: Supplement to Application for Long-Term, 
Multi-Contract Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-
Free Trade Agreement Nations for a 20-Year Period

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Supplement.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of receipt of a March 5, 2018 filing by Driftwood 
LNG LLC (Driftwood LNG), entitled ``Supplement to Long-Term 
Authorization and Application for Long-Term Authorization'' 
(Supplement). Previously, on September 28, 2016, Driftwood LNG filed an 
application (Application) in this proceeding requesting authorization 
to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its 
proposed Facility in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to any country with 
which the United States does not have 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). In 
relevant part, the Supplement seeks to amend the non-FTA export volume 
originally requested in the Application. Specifically, Driftwood LNG 
seeks to decrease its requested export volume to the equivalent of 
1,415.3 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (3.88 Bcf/
day)--which Driftwood LNG states is equivalent to 27.6 million metric 
tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG based on its conversion factor.

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, November 21, 
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: Larine Moore or Benjamin Nussdorf, 
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) 586-9478; 
(202) 586-7893. 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: In its pending Application filed on 
September 28, 2016, Driftwood LNG sought authorization to export LNG in 
a volume of 26 mtpa, equivalent to 1,496.5 Bcf/yr of natural gas (4.1 
Bcf/day). In this Supplement, Driftwood LNG seeks to decrease its 
requested export volume to the equivalent of 1,415.3 Bcf/yr of natural 
gas (3.88 Bcf/day). Driftwood LNG states that the grant of this 
Supplement will align its requested non-FTA export volume with the 
optimized estimated LNG production capacity of the Facility. Driftwood 
LNG states that, on February 15, 2018, it submitted a similar filing to 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Docket No. CP17-117-000) to 
clarify the LNG production capacity of the Facility. Driftwood LNG 
further asserts that no changes to the design of the Facility are 
required or proposed to achieve the amended production capacity.
    Additional details can be found in Driftwood LNG's filing, posted 
on the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/04/f50/DWLNG16-144sup.pdf.
    Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and 
written comments addressing the Supplement are invited.

DOE/FE Evaluation

    The Supplement will be reviewed in conjunction with DOE/FE's review 
of Driftwood LNG's pending Application pursuant to section 3(a) of the 
NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a).\1\ 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

[[Page 54923]]

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:
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    \1\ In the Supplement, Driftwood LNG also asks DOE/FE to amend 
its existing LNG export authorization to FTA countries. See 
Driftwood LNG LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 3968, FE Docket No. 16-144-LNG, 
Order Granting Long-Term, Multi-Contract Authorization to Export 
Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel from the Proposed Driftwood LNG 
Facility in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to Free Trade Agreement 
Nations (Feb. 28, 2017). That action is not subject to this Notice, 
and DOE/FE will address it separately pursuant to section 3(c) of 
the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(c).
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     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); \2\
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    \2\ 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); \3\ and
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    \3\ 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).\4\
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    \4\ 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); \5\ and
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    \5\ 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).\6\
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    \6\ 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 Supplement should address these issues and 
documents in their comments and/or protests, as well as other issues 
deemed relevant to the Supplement.
    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 persons will be provided 20 days from the date 
of publication of this Notice in which to submit comments, protests, 
motions to intervene, or notices of intervention. Because the public 
previously was given an opportunity to intervene in, protest, and 
comment on Driftwood LNG's pending Application, DOE/FE may disregard 
comments or protests that do not bear directly on the Supplement--
specifically, Driftwood LNG's proposed decrease of its requested non-
FTA export volume.
    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 Supplement 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, 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. 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 Supplement 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 
Supplement and responses filed by parties pursuant to this notice, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 590.316.
    The Supplement 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 Supplement 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 October 26, 2018.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Division of Natural Gas Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2018-23867 Filed 10-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P