The Office of Fossil Energy gives notice of receipt of an Application filed September 27, 2018 by Energía Costa Azul, S. de R.L. de C.V. (ECA Mid-Scale Project), requesting long-term multi-contract authorization to export natural gas to Mexico and to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Mexico to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Non-Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) Nations in a volume amount up to a total of 182 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) for natural gas and 161 Bcf/yr for LNG for a period of 20 years commencing on the earlier of date of first export or seven years from the date of issuance of the authorization requested.  Energía Costa Azul, S. de R.L. de C.V. proposed to export domestically produced natural gas from the United States, and following liquefaction, LNG from the proposed Energía Costa Azul liquefaction and export terminal facilities, to be located north of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. DOE/FE will be issuing a Federal Register notice seeking comments, interventions, and protests on the NFTA portion of the application.

DOE will consider one or more of the following 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);
• 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); and
• Macroeconomic Outcomes of Market Determined Levels of U.S. LNG Exports, conducted by NERA Economic Consulting on behalf of DOE (2018 LNG Export Study)

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) and
• Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States, 79 FR 32260 (June 4, 2014).