July 8, 2020 3:35 a.m.
On Monday the proposed Jordan Cove LNG Terminal in Coos Bay was given federal approval to export domestically produced liquified natural gas.
The announcement came from U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. In 2014, the Department of Energy conditionally approved exports from the proposed terminal. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized the siting, construction and operation of the terminal and the related Pacific Connector Pipeline in March of this year.
Brouillette said the authorization marks the first west coast LNG project and “will ease access to further position the U.S. as a top supplier of LNG around the world”. He said the decision will “further expand opportunities for U.S. LNG abroad, particularly in the growing markets of Asia”. Brouillette said it “encapsulates what the Trump Administration has been working hard on for the past three years – providing reliable, affordable, and cleaner-burning natural gas to our allies around the world”.
Under the order, owner Pembina Pipeline Corporation will have the authority to export up to 1.08 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas as LNG. The gas will be sourced from both Canada and the United States and will be liquified at the Jordan Cove LNG Terminal. The release said the LNG will be exported by ocean-going vessels to any country with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law.
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg said as the country works to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, “LNG exports are going to be one of the building blocks towards the United States economic recovery”. He said the U.S. has exported LNG to 38 countries and with this authorization the nation can look to increase that number with expanded geographic coverage for LNG exports into key importing markets in Asia, “providing enhanced economic opportunities both here in the U.S. and globally”.
The DOE release said the United States is currently in it’s fourth consecutive year as a net exporter of natural gas and it has quickly become one of the top global exporters of LNG. The release said if built to its expected capacity, the Jordan Cove LNG Terminal, including the Pacific Connector Pipeline, is expected to create over 6,000 jobs during peak construction, and may generate up to $100 million in state and local tax revenue.
A link to the full order is posted with this story at www.541radio.com: https://www.energy.gov/fe/downloads/jordan-cove-energy-project-lp-12-32-lng