[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 192 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62292-62294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21761]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 19-134-LNG]


Commonwealth LNG, LLC; Application To Amend Requested Export Term 
in Pending Long-Term Application Through December 31, 2050

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.

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 11, 2020, by Commonwealth LNG, LLC (Commonwealth). 
Commonwealth seeks to amend the export term set forth in its pending 
application requesting authorization to export liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) to non-free trade agreement countries to a term ending on 
December 31, 2050. Commonwealth filed the Application under the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA) and DOE's policy statement entitled, ``Extending Natural 
Gas Export Authorizations to Non-Free Trade Agreement Countries Through 
the Year 2050'' (Policy Statement). Protests, motions to intervene, 
notices of intervention, and written comments on the requested term 
extension are invited.

DATES: Protests, motions to intervene or notices of intervention, as 
applicable,

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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 19, 2020.

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 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) 586-7893; (202) 586-2627, 
[email protected] or [email protected].
Cassandra Bernstein or Edward Toyozaki, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-
76), Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Electricity and Fossil 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 6D-033, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9793; (202) 586-0126, 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    On October 16, 2019, Commonwealth filed an application with DOE/FE 
requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export 
domestically produced LNG in a volume equivalent to 441.4 billion cubic 
feet per year of natural gas, pursuant to NGA section 3(a), 15 U.S.C. 
717b(a).\1\ Commonwealth seeks to export this LNG by vessel from the 
proposed Commonwealth LNG Facility to be located in Cameron Parish, 
Louisiana, 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) for a 20-year term. In this 
Application,\2\ Commonwealth asks to amend the export term requested in 
its pending non-FTA application to a term ending on December 31, 2050, 
as provided in the Policy Statement.\3\ Additional details can be found 
in the Application, posted on the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/09/f78/Commonwealth%20DOE%20Amendment%20Application.pdf.
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    \1\ Commonwealth LNG, LLC, FE Docket No. 19-134-LNG, Application 
for Long-Term Authorization to Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Free 
Trade Agreement Nations and Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations (Oct. 
16, 2019).
    \2\ Commonwealth LNG, LLC, Application to Amend Export Term in 
Pending Long-Term Application Through December 31, 2050, FE Docket 
No. 19-134-LNG (Sept. 11, 2020).
    \3\ U.S. Dep't of Energy, Extending Natural Gas Export 
Authorizations to Non-Free Trade Agreement Countries Through the 
Year 2050; Notice of Final Policy Statement and Response to 
Comments, 85 FR 52237 (Aug. 25, 2020) [hereinafter Policy 
Statement].
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    Because the Application requests a material change to 
Commonwealth's pending application, DOE is publishing this notice in 
the Federal Register to provide the public with an opportunity to 
intervene, comment, and/or protest the requested extended export 
term.\4\
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    \4\ See 10 CFR 590.204(a).
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DOE/FE Evaluation

    In the Policy Statement, DOE adopted a term through December 31, 
2050 (inclusive of any make-up period), as the standard export term for 
long-term non-FTA authorizations.\5\ As the basis for its decision, DOE 
considered its obligations under NGA section 3(a), the public comments 
supporting and opposing the proposed Policy Statement, and a wide range 
of information bearing on the public interest.\6\ DOE explained that, 
upon receipt of an application under the Policy Statement, it would 
conduct a public interest analysis of the application (or amended 
application) under NGA section 3(a).\7\
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    \5\ See Policy Statement, 85 FR 52247.
    \6\ See id., 85 FR 52247.
    \7\ Id., 85 FR 52247.
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    Accordingly, in reviewing Commonwealth's Application, DOE/FE will 
consider any issues required by law or policy under NGA section 3(a), 
as informed by the Policy Statement. To the extent appropriate, DOE 
will consider the study entitled, Macroeconomic Outcomes of Market 
Determined Levels of U.S. LNG Exports (2018 LNG Export Study),\8\ DOE's 
response to public comments received on that Study,\9\ and the 
following environmental documents:
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    \8\ See NERA Economic Consulting, Macroeconomic Outcomes of 
Market Determined Levels of U.S. LNG Exports (June 7, 2018), 
available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/06/f52/Macroeconomic%20LNG%20Export%20Study%202018.pdf.
    \9\ U.S. Dep't of Energy, Study on Macroeconomic Outcomes of LNG 
Exports: Response to Comments Received on Study; Notice of Response 
to Comments, 83 FR 67251 (Dec. 28, 2018).
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     Addendum to Environmental Review Documents Concerning 
Exports of Natural Gas From the United States, 79 FR 48132 (Aug. 15, 
2014); \10\
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    \10\ 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); \11\ and
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    \11\ The 2014 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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     Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting 
Liquefied Natural Gas From the United States: 2019 Update, 84 FR 49278 
(Sept. 19, 2019), and DOE/FE's response to public comments received on 
that study.\12\
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    \12\ U.S. Dep't of Energy, Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective 
on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas From the United States: 2019 
Update--Response to Comments, 85 FR 72 (Jan. 2, 2020). The 2019 
Update and related documents are available at: https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/21.
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    Parties that may oppose the Application should address these issues 
and documents in their comments and/or protests as they relate to the 
amendment of the requested export term only, as well as any other 
issues deemed relevant to the requested term extension.
    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, addressing the Application. Interested parties will be 
provided 15 days from the date of publication of this Notice in which 
to submit comments, protests, motions to intervene, or notices of 
intervention. The public previously was given an opportunity to 
intervene in, protest, and comment on Commonwealth's pending long-term 
non-FTA application. Therefore, DOE will not consider comments or 
protests that do not bear directly on Commonwealth's amendment to the 
requested export term.
    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

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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. 19-134-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. 19-134-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. 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 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 September 28, 2020.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of 
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-21761 Filed 10-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P