US Finalizes Overhaul of Natural Gas Export Reviews
The U.S. Energy Department has finalized a plan to revamp its process for approving liquefied natural gas exports, and as originally proposed the changes eliminate conditional approvals for LNG projects. Beginning Thursday, the department will only issue final rulings on whether exports are in the public interest after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or another authorized agency, has completed an environmental review of the project. The move will likely shift focus from the Energy Department, which has been criticized for moving too slowly, to the more costly FERC process, which assesses the safety and environmental impacts of LNG export facilities.
Overhaul Of U.S. Natural Gas Export Review Process
The Obama administration on Thursday announced a major overhaul of its review process for U.S. liquefied natural gas exports, a change that would benefit companies with strong financial backing for their projects. Under the proposal, the Department of Energy would no longer issue conditional approvals of projects. Instead, the department would decide whether an LNG export project is in the national interest only after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or another agency, had issued a final environmental review. The action would shift emphasis from the department's conditional approval, placing the onus on FERC. The department said that by waiting until the environmental review is completedā¦
