DOE to revise approval process for LNG exports

Staff report

washington

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, applauded the Department of Energy’s decision to revise the liquefied natural-gas approval process.

The department announced the intention to revise the process for reviewing facilities that have applied to export liquefied natural gas to nonfree-trade agreement countries.

Under the current process, the department reviews and assesses applications based on chronological order in which they were submitted, and then grants those they deem worthy a “conditional authorization.”

The department no longer would issue conditional commitments granting the export of liquefied natural gas to nonfree-trade agreement countries ahead of the completion of an environmental review, under a procedural change proposed by the department Thursday. The proposal will be subject to a 45-day public-comment period.

Last year, Ryan co-sponsored an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill asking the department to speed up the LNG export-approval process and increase transparency.