[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 201 (Friday, October 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65795-65797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22928]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. 20-127-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, 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 October 2, 2020, by Cheniere Marketing, LLC and Corpus Christi 
Liquefaction, LLC (collectively, Corpus Christi). Corpus Christi 
requests blanket authorization to export domestically produced 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 767 billion cubic 
feet (Bcf) of natural gas on a cumulative basis over a two-year period 
commencing on December 12, 2020. Corpus Christi seeks to export this 
LNG from the Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project located in Corpus 
Christi, Texas. Corpus Christi filed the Application under the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA). 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, November 16, 
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.

[[Page 65796]]

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 or (202) 586-2627; 
[email protected] or [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: Corpus Christi requests a short-term blanket 
authorization to export LNG from the Corpus Christi Liquefaction 
Project 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. 
This includes 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 any other country with which 
trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries). This 
Notice applies only to the portion of the Application requesting 
authority to export domestically produced LNG to non-FTA countries 
pursuant to section 3(a) of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a).\1\ 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).
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    \1\ Corpus Christi's existing non-FTA blanket authorization will 
expire on December 11, 2020. See Cheniere Marketing, LLC and Corpus 
Christi Liquefaction, Application for Blanket Authorization to 
Export Liquefied Natural Gas, FE Docket No. 20-127-LNG (Oct. 2, 
2020) at 3 n.9.
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    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. Additional details can be found in the Application, posted on 
the DOE/FE website at: https://www.energy.gov/fe/downloads/cheniere-marketing-llc-and-corpus-christi-liquefaction-llc-fe-dkt-no-20-127-lng.

DOE/FE Evaluation

    In reviewing Corpus Christi's request, 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 the study entitled, Macroeconomic Outcomes 
of Market Determined Levels of U.S. LNG Exports (2018 LNG Export 
Study),\2\ and DOE/FE's response to public comments received on that 
Study.\3\
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    \2\ 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.
    \3\ 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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    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\
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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\ and
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    \5\ 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.\6\
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    \6\ 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 this Application should address these issues 
and documents in their comments and 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 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. 20-127-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. 20-127-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

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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 October 9, 2020.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Oil 
and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2020-22928 Filed 10-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P