[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 218 (Thursday, November 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79007-79008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27175]
[[Page 79007]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FE Docket No. 16-109-LNG]
Lake Charles LNG Export Company, LLC; Application for Long-Term,
Multi-Contract Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-
Free Trade Agreement Nations
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 of receipt of an application (Application), filed on
August 12, 2016, by Lake Charles LNG Export Company, LLC (Lake Charles
LNG Export), requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to
export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG), in a volume
equivalent to 121 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas
(0.33 Bcf per day). 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, January 9,
2017.
ADDRESSES:
Electronic Filing by email: [email protected].
Regular Mail
U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Regulation and
International 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 and
International Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building,
Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kyle W. Moorman or Larine Moore, U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34),
Office of Regulation and International Engagement, Office of Fossil
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7970; (202) 586-9578.
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: Lake Charles LNG Export seeks authorization
to export the LNG by vessel from the existing Lake Charles Liquefaction
Terminal (Lake Charles Terminal) located in Lake Charles, Calcasieu
Parish, Louisiana.\1\ Lake Charles LNG Export requests authorization to
export this 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).\2\ Lake Charles LNG Export states
that the requested export volume (121 Bcf/yr) is incremental and
therefore additive to the volume of LNG previously authorized for
export from the Lake Charles Terminal to non-FTA countries in DOE/FE
Order No. 3868 (730 Bcf/yr).\3\ Lake Charles LNG Export further states
that, through this request, it seeks to align its authorized LNG export
volumes for non-FTA countries with the maximum liquefaction production
capacity of the Lake Charles Terminal, as approved by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission. Lake Charles LNG Export requests the
authorization for a 20-year term to commence on the earlier of the date
of first export or seven years from the date the requested
authorization is issued. Lake Charles LNG Export seeks to export this
LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other entities who hold title to
the LNG at the time of export. The Application was filed under section
3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details can be found in Lake
Charles LNG Export's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at:
http://www.energy.gov/fe/lake-charles-lng-export-company-llc-fe-docket-16-109-lng-export-fta-and-nftas.
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\1\ Lake Charles LNG Export states that its affiliate, Lake
Charles LNG Company, LLC, owns and operates the Lake Charles
Terminal. Lake Charles LNG Export states that it will own the
proposed liquefaction facility and hold the requested LNG export
authorization.
\2\ In the Application, Lake Charles LNG Export also requests
authorization to export LNG to any nation that currently has, or in
the future may enter into, a FTA requiring national treatment for
trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S.
law or policy (FTA countries). DOE/FE will review that request for a
FTA export authorization separately pursuant to NGA Sec. 3(c), 15
U.S.C. 717b(c). The proposed export volumes for FTA and non-FTA
countries are not additive.
\3\ Lake Charles LNG Export Company, LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 3868,
FE Docket No. 13-04-LNG, Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term,
Multi-Contract Authorization to Export Liquefied Natural Gas by
Vessel from the Lake Charles Terminal in Calcasieu Parish,
Louisiana, to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations (July 29, 2016).
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DOE/FE Evaluation
The Application will be reviewed pursuant to section 3(a) of the
NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717b(a), and DOE will consider any issues required by
law or policy. To the extent determined to be relevant, these issues
will include the domestic need for the natural gas proposed to be
exported, the adequacy of domestic natural gas supply, and U.S. energy
security. DOE may also consider other factors bearing on the public
interest, including the impact of the proposed exports on the U.S.
economy, international considerations, and whether the authorization 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
following two studies examining the cumulative impacts of exporting
domestically produced LNG:
Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas
Exports on U.S. Energy Markets, conducted by the U.S. Energy
Information Administration upon DOE's request (2014 EIA LNG Export
Study);\4\ and
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\4\ 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).\5\
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\5\ 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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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); \6\ and
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\6\ The Addendum and related documents are available at: http://energy.gov/fe/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).\7\
\7\ 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 in
their comments and/or protests, as well as other issues deemed relevant
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to the Application.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.,
[[Page 79008]]
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. Due to the complexity of the issues raised by the
Applicant, interested persons will be provided 60 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. 16-109-LNG
in the title line; (2) mailing an original and three paper copies of
the filing to the Office of Regulation and International 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 and
International Engagement at the address listed in ADDRESSES. All
filings must include a reference to FE Docket No. 16-109-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 and International 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://energy.gov/fe/lake-charles-lng-export-company-llc-fe-docket-16-109-lng-export-fta-and-nftas.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 4, 2016.
John A. Anderson,
Director, Office of Regulation and International Engagement, Office of
Oil and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2016-27175 Filed 11-9-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P