[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4314-4316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01166]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FE Docket No. 19-156-LNG]
Dominion Energy Cove Point LNG, LP; 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, DOE.
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 December 23, 2019, by Dominion Energy Cove Point LNG, LP
(DECP). DECP requests blanket authorization to export both domestically
produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) and LNG previously imported by
vessel from foreign sources in a total volume equivalent to 250 billion
cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas on a cumulative basis over a two-year
period commencing on March 2, 2020. DECP seeks to export this LNG from
the Cove Point LNG
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Terminal (Terminal) located in Calvert County, Maryland. DECP filed the
Application under section 3 of 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, February 24,
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 or (202) 586-2627;
[email protected] or [email protected]
Cassandra Bernstein or Kari Twaite, 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 or (202) 586-6978; [email protected]
or [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DECP requests a short-term blanket
authorization to export LNG from the Terminal 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 all other countries (non-FTA countries). DECP intends to source
these exports from both domestically produced LNG and LNG previously
imported by vessel at the Terminal from foreign sources. This Notice
applies only to the portion of the Application requesting authority to
export LNG to non-FTA countries pursuant to section 3(a) of the NGA, 15
U.S.C. 717b(a).\1\ DOE/FE will review DECP'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\ DECP's existing non-FTA blanket authorization will expire on
March 2, 2020. Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP, DOE/FE Order No. 4046,
FE Docket No. 16-205-LNG, Order Granting Blanket Authorization to
Export Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel from the Cove Point Terminal
Located in Calvert County, Maryland, to Free Trade Agreement and
Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations (June 2, 2017), as amended Dominion
Energy Cove Point, LNG, LP, DOE/FE Order No. 4046-A, FE Docket No.
16-205-LNG, Order Granting Request to Amend Authorizations to Export
Liquefied Natural Gas to Reflect Corporate Name Change (Aug. 4,
2017).
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DECP 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/dominion-energy-cove-point-llc-fe-dkt-no-19-156-lng.
DOE/FE Evaluation
In reviewing DECP'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.
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. 19-156-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,
[[Page 4316]]
Analysis, and Engagement at the address listed in ADDRESSES. All
filings must include a reference to FE Docket No. 19-156-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, 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 January 21, 2020.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Oil
and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2020-01166 Filed 1-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P