Document

Cameron LNG, LLC; Application for Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations on a Short-Term Basis

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on February 19, 2016, by Cameron LNG, LLC (Came...

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Department of Energy

[FE Docket No. 16-34-LNG]

AGENCY:

Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION:

Notice of application.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on February 19, 2016, by Cameron LNG, LLC (Cameron LNG), requesting blanket authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an amount up to the equivalent of 254 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas on a cumulative basis over a two-year period effective as of the commencement of export of commissioning volumes, estimated to be the fourth quarter of 2017, but no later than six months thereafter.^[1] The LNG would be exported from the Cameron Terminal located in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana to any country with the capacity to import LNG in ocean-going carriers and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy, including both countries with which the United States has entered into a free trade agreement providing for national treatment for trade in natural gas (FTA countries) and other countries (non-FTA countries).

To date, Cameron LNG has been granted 5 long-term, multi-contract authorizations from DOE/FE: (1) Order No. 3059 to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 620 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to FTA countries, for a 20-year term; (2) Order No. 3391-A to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 620 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to non-FTA countries, for a 20-year term; ^[2] (3) Order No. 3620 to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 152 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to FTA countries, for a 20-year term; (4) Order No. 3797 to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 152 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to non-FTA countries, for a 20-year term ^[3] and (5) Order No. 3680 to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 515 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to FTA countries, for a 20-year term. Cameron LNG also has submitted a pending application in DOE/FE Docket No. 15-90-LNG to export LNG in a volume equivalent to 515 Bcf per year of natural gas from the Cameron Terminal to non-FTA countries, for a 20-year term. The volume in Cameron LNG's pending application is not additive to the volume authorized in DOE/FE Order No. 3680.

Cameron LNG states that, in anticipation of the start of liquefaction operations at the Cameron Terminal, it requests this blanket authorization to engage in short-term exports of LNG produced before the commencement of long-term commercial exports of domestically sourced LNG as approved in DOE/FE Order Nos. 3059, 3391-A, 3620, 3680, and 3797.^[4] Cameron LNG seeks to export this LNG on its own ( printed page 40885) behalf and as agent for other parties who will 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 Cameron LNG's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: http://energy.gov/fe/cameron-lng-llc-fe-dkt-no-16-34-lng-application-blanket-authority-export-lng-short-term-basis-fta.

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, July 25, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Electronic Filing by email: fergas@hq.doe.gov.

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:

Larine Moore or Amy Sweeney, 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) 586-9478; (202) 586-2627.

Edward Myers, 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) 586-3397.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

DOE/FE Evaluation

The portion of the Application seeking authority to export commissioning volumes to non-FTA countries 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. In reviewing this Application, 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 following two studies examining the cumulative impacts of exporting domestically produced LNG:

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); ^[5] and

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).^[6]

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); ^[7] and

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States,79 FR 32260 (June 4, 2014).^[8]

Parties that may oppose this Application should address these issues and documents in their comments and/or 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. Cameron LNG states that no new or modified facilities at the Cameron Terminal would be required for the short-term exports requested in the Application. No final decision will be issued in this proceeding until DOE has met its environmental responsibilities.

Interested persons will be provided 30 days from the date of publication of this Notice in which to submit comments, protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, or motions for additional procedures.

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 fergas@hq.doe.gov, with FE Docket No. 16-34-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. 16-34-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 ( printed page 40886) 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://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/gasregulation/index.html.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2016.

John A. Anderson,

Director, Office of Regulation and International Engagement, Office of Oil and Natural Gas.

Footnotes

1. Cameron LNG, LLC, Supplement Letter To Application to Export Liquefied Natural Gas on a Short-Term Basis to FTA and Non-FTA Countries, (Mar. 10, 2016).

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2. Order Nos. 3059 and 3391-A are not additive.

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3. Order Nos. 3620 and 3797 are not additive.

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4. DOE/FE issued Order No. 3797 after Cameron LNG filed the application in DOE/FE Docket No. 14-34-LNG. DOE/FE has included the Order because Cameron LNG referencing the docket as a pending application at 4.

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5. 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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6. 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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7. 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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8. 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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[FR Doc. 2016-14869 Filed 6-22-16; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

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81 FR 40884

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“Cameron LNG, LLC; Application for Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations on a Short-Term Basis,” thefederalregister.org (June 23, 2016), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2016-14869/cameron-lng-llc-application-for-blanket-authorization-to-export-liquefied-natural-gas-to-non-free-trade-agreement-nation.