[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49278-49280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20230]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied 
Natural Gas From the United States: 2019 Update

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC..........................  [FE Docket No. 10-111-LNG]
Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. et al.....................  [FE Docket No. 10-161-LNG]
Lake Charles Exports, LLC..............................  [FE Docket No. 11-59-LNG]
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP............................  [FE Docket No. 11-128-LNG]
Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. et al.....................  [FE Docket No. 11-161-LNG]
Cameron LNG, LLC.......................................  [FE Docket No. 11-162-LNG]
Southern LNG Company, LLC..............................  [FE Docket No. 12-100-LNG]
Gulf LNG Liquefaction Company, LLC.....................  [FE Docket No. 12-101-LNG]
Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P........................  [FE Docket No. 12-32-LNG]
CE FLNG, LLC...........................................  [FE Docket No. 12-123-LNG]
Golden Pass Products, LLC..............................  [FE Docket No. 12-156-LNG]
Lake Charles LNG Export Co.............................  [FE Docket No. 13-04-LNG]
MPEH LLC...............................................  [FE Docket No. 13-26-LNG]
Cheniere Marketing LLC and Corpus Christi Liquefaction,  [FE Docket Nos. 13-30-LNG, 13-42 LNG, & 13-121-LNG]
 LLC.
Venture Global Calcasieu Pass..........................  [FE Docket Nos. 13-69-LNG, 14-88-LNG, & 15-25 LNG]
Eos LNG LLC............................................  [FE Docket No. 13-116-LNG]
Barca LNG LLC..........................................  [FE Docket No. 13-118-LNG]
Magnolia LNG, LLC......................................  [FE Docket No. 13-132-LNG]
Delfin LNG, LLC........................................  [FE Docket No. 13-147-LNG]
Commonwealth LNG, LLC..................................  [FE Docket No. 13-153-LNG]
SCT&E LNG, LLC.........................................  [FE Docket No. 14-98-LNG]
Pieridae Energy (USA) Ltd..............................  [FE Docket No. 14-179-LNG]
Bear Head LNG Corporation and Bear Head LNG (USA)......  [FE Docket No. 15-33-LNG]
G2 LNG LLC.............................................  [FE Docket No. 15-45-LNG]
Texas LNG Brownsville LLC..............................  [FE Docket No. 15-62-LNG]
Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC..........................  [FE Docket No. 15-63-LNG]
Cameron LNG, LLC.......................................  [FE Docket No. 15-90-LNG]
Port Arthur LNG, LLC...................................  [FE Docket No. 15-96-LNG]
Rio Grande LNG, LLC....................................  [FE Docket No. 15-190-LNG]
Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC....................  [FE Docket No. 16-28-LNG]
Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P., et al....................  [FE Docket No. 16-108-LNG]
Lake Charles LNG Export Co.............................  [FE Docket No. 16-109-LNG]
Lake Charles Exports, LLC..............................  [FE Docket No. 16-110-LNG]
Driftwood LNG LLC......................................  [FE Docket No. 16-144-LNG]
Fourchon LNG, LLC......................................  [FE Docket No. 17-105-LNG]
Galveston Bay LNG, LLC.................................  [FE Docket No. 17-167-LNG]
Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P., et al....................  [FE Docket No. 18-26-LNG]
Corpus Christi Liquefaction Stage III, LLC.............  [FE Docket No. 18-78-LNG]
Mexico Pacific Limited LLC.............................  [FE Docket No. 18-70-LNG]
Energ[iacute]a Costa Azul, S. de R.L. de C.V...........  [FE Docket No. 18-144-LNG]
Energ[iacute]a Costa Azul, S. de R.L. de C.V...........  [FE Docket No. 18-145-LNG]
Annova LNG Common Infrastructure, LLC..................  [FE Docket No. 19-34-LNG]
 

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of report entitled Life Cycle Greenhouse 
Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United 
States: 2019 Update, and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy 
(DOE) gives notice of the availability of the Report Life Cycle 
Greenhouse Gas

[[Page 49279]]

Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States: 
2019 Update, dated September 12, 2019 (LCA GHG Update), in the above-
referenced proceedings and invites the submission of comments regarding 
the LCA GHG Update. This analysis is an update to DOE's 2014 LCA GHG 
Report. The purpose of this LCA GHG is to provide additional 
information to the public and to inform DOE's decisions regarding the 
life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
exports for use in electric power generation.

DATES: Comments are to be filed using procedures detailed in the Public 
Comment section no later than 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, October 21, 
2019. All comments received need only be submitted once, as they will 
be placed in the administrative record for each of the above-referenced 
proceedings.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic Filing of Comments Using Online Form: https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/21.
    Regular Mail: U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Attn: LCA GHG 
Update Comments, 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), Attn: LCA GHG Update 
Comments, 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: 
Amy Sweeney, 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) 
586-2627, [email protected].
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, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 3(a) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a), directs DOE 
to authorize proposed exports of natural gas, including LNG, 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), unless DOE finds that the proposed exportation will not be 
consistent with the public interest.
    Of the 42 long-term proceedings identified above, 16 involve 
pending applications requesting authorization to export U.S. LNG on 
water-borne vessels from the lower-48 states to non-FTA countries. In 
the remaining 26 proceedings, DOE already has issued a long-term order 
authorizing exports of LNG under NGA section 3(a).

The LCA GHG Update

    On June 4, 2014, DOE issued the original LCA GHG Report,\1\ 
entitled Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied 
Natural Gas from the United States.\2\ At DOE's request, the National 
Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)--a DOE applied research 
laboratory--prepared the LCA GHG Report to calculate the life cycle GHG 
emissions for LNG exported from the United States. DOE received public 
comments on the LCA GHG Report, and responded to those comments in 
export authorizations issued under NGA section 3(a).\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ As used in this Notice, ``LCA'' stands for life cycle 
analysis, and ``GHG'' stands for greenhouse gas.
    \2\ U.S. Dep't of Energy, Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective 
on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas From the United States, 79 FR 
32260 (June 4, 2014). DOE/FE announced the availability of the LCA 
GHG Report on its website on May 29, 2014.
    \3\ See, e.g., Magnolia LNG, LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 3909, FE 
Docket No. 13-132-LNG, Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term, Multi-
Contract Authorization to Export Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel 
From the Proposed Magnolia LNG Terminal to be Constructed in Lake 
Charles, Louisiana, to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations, at 95-121 
(Nov. 30, 2016) (description of LCA GHG Report and response to 
comments); see also Sierra Club v. U.S. Dep't of Energy, 867 F.3d 
189, 195, 201-02 (Aug. 15, 2017) (discussing LCA GHG Report in 
denying petition for review of export authorization).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In 2018, DOE commissioned NETL to conduct an update to the LCA GHG 
Report, referred to herein as the LCA GHG Update. The purpose of this 
Notice is to post the LCA GHG Update in the above-referenced 
proceedings and to invite public comment on the LCA GHG Update, as 
applied to the pending applications and existing orders described 
above.
    As with the 2014 Report, the LCA GHG Update compares life cycle GHG 
emissions from U.S. LNG exports to regional coal and other imported 
natural gas for electric power generation in Europe and Asia. Although 
core aspects of the analysis--such as the scenarios investigated--are 
the same as the LCA GHG Report, NETL made the following updates:
     Incorporated NETL's most recent characterization of 
upstream natural gas production (NETL, 2019); \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Nat'l Energy Technology Laboratory, Life Cycle Analysis of 
Natural Gas Extraction and Power Generation (DOE/NETL 2019/2039) 
(Apr. 19, 2019), available at: https://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analysis/details?id=3198.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Updated the unit processes for liquefaction, ocean 
transport, and regasification characterization using engineering-based 
models and publicly-available data informed and reviewed by existing 
LNG export facilities, where possible; and
     Updated the 100-year global warming potential (GWP) for 
methane to reflect the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5).
    The primary questions addressed by the LCA GHG Update are:
     How does exported LNG from the United States compare with 
regional coal (or other LNG sources) for electric power generation in 
Europe and Asia, from a life cycle GHG perspective?
     How do those results compare with natural gas sourced from 
Russia and delivered to the same European and Asian markets via 
pipeline?
    To address these questions, NETL applied its LCA model to represent 
unconventional natural gas production and transportation to a U.S. Gulf 
Coast liquefaction facility, liquefaction of the natural gas at the 
facility, and transportation of the LNG to an import terminal in 
Rotterdam, Netherlands, to represent a European market, and to an 
import terminal in Shanghai, China, to represent Asian markets. LNG 
produced in Algeria was modeled to represent an alternative regional 
LNG European market supply source with a destination of Rotterdam. LNG 
from Darwin, Australia, was modeled to represent an alternative 
regional LNG Asian market supply source with a destination of Shanghai. 
Conventional natural gas extracted from the Yamal region of Siberia in 
Russia was modeled as the regional pipeline gas alternative for both 
the European and Asian markets. Regional coal production and 
consumption in Germany and China were also modeled. NETL used a 
parametric model for the scenarios to account for variability in supply 
chain characteristics and power plant efficiencies.
    As described in the LCA GHG Update, NETL determined that the use of 
U.S. LNG exports for power production in European and Asian markets 
will not increase GHG emissions from a life cycle perspective, when 
compared to

[[Page 49280]]

regional coal extraction and consumption for power production.

Public Comment

    In response to this Notice, any person may file comments addressing 
the LCA GHG Update. Comments submitted in compliance with the 
instructions in this Notice will be placed in the administrative record 
for all of the above-referenced proceedings and need only be submitted 
once.
    DOE is not establishing a new proceeding or docket in this Notice. 
Additionally, the submission of comments in response to this Notice 
will not make commenters parties to any of the affected dockets. 
Persons with an interest in the outcome of one or more of the affected 
dockets already have been given an opportunity to intervene in or 
protest those matters by complying with the procedures established in 
the notice of application issued in each respective docket and 
published in the Federal Register.
    Comments may be submitted using one of the following methods:
    (1) Submitting the comments using the online form at https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/21.
    (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.
    For administrative efficiency, DOE/FE prefers comments to be filed 
electronically using the online form (method 1). All comments must 
include a reference to ``LCA GHG Update'' in the title line. Comments 
must be limited to the issues and potential impacts addressed in the 
LCA GHG Update, and DOE may disregard comments that are not germane.
    The record in the above-referenced proceedings will include all 
comments received in response to this Notice. DOE will review the 
comments received on a consolidated basis, and no reply comments will 
be accepted.
    Additionally, all comments filed in response to this Notice will be 
available on the following DOE/FE website: https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/21.
    The LCA GHG Update and other relevant documents are available 
electronically at (https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/21) and for inspection and copying in the Division of Natural Gas 
Regulation 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.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2019.
Steven Winberg,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2019-20230 Filed 9-18-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P