Rio Grande, Texas LNG Opponents Again File Lawsuit Challenging Project Authorizations - Natural Gas Intelligence
Rio Grande, Texas LNG Opponents Again File Lawsuit Challenging Project Authorizations - Natural Gas Intelligence
A group led by the Sierra Club has filed federal lawsuits challenging FERC’s decision earlier this year to reaffirm its approval of the Rio Grande and Texas LNG export projects as they continue a fight to stop the proposed facilities from advancing.
The environmental group was joined by the city of Port Isabel and the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas in filing the lawsuits against the projects and an associated pipeline in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The group argues that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reaffirmed its approval for the projects “without adequately addressing the deficiencies identified by the court” in its initial order two years ago.
FERC reaffirmed its 2019 approvals for the projects in April, eliminating a...
Related Knowledge Center: Liquefied natural gas
Driven by plentiful natural gas produced from shale plays, the United States began exporting liquefied natural gas in 2016 when the Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana opened and shipped its first cargo. Since then, additional capacity, or trains, have been added to Sabine Pass, and terminals have become operational in Cameron Parish, La.; Hackberry, La.; Cove Point, Md.; and Corpus Christi, Texas. The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. LNG export capacity will reach 8.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by the end of 2019, making it the third largest in the world, behind Australia and Qatar. The tariff war with China has the potential to impact some final investment decisions for additional terminals in the coming months.