The Office of Fossil Energy gives notice of receipt of an Application filed December 23, 2015, by Rio Grande LNG, LLC (Rio Grande), seeking a long-term multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) up to the equivalent of 1,318 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year to Free Trade Agreement countries and to Non Free Trade Agreement countries.  Authorization is for a 20-year period for each of six liquefaction trains, commencing on the earlier of the date of first export or seven years from the date the authorization is issued for the first four liquefaction trains, and commencing on the earlier of the date of first export or eight years from the date the authorization is issued for the last two liquefaction trains. Rio Grande proposes to export LNG from its proposed LNG facility to be located in Cameron County Texas, along the north embankment of the Brownsville Ship Channel, to any country that has, or in the future will have, the capacity to import LNG via ocean-going carrier, with which the United States does not prohibit trade, and has a Free Trade Agreement requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas.  Rio Grande also proposes to export LNG from its proposed LNG facility to be located in Cameron County Texas, along the north embankment of the Brownsville Ship Channel, to any country that has, or in the future will have, the capacity to import LNG via ocean-going carrier, with which the United States does not prohibit trade, and does not have a Free Trade Agreement requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas.  A federal register notice will be issued for the non-free trade agreement request.  A federal register notice will not be issued for the free trade agreement request.

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).