Texas LNG Brownsville LLC; Request for Extension of Export Commencement Deadline

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice (Notice) of receipt of a request (Request), filed on September 28, 2026, by Texas LNG Brownsville LLC (Texas LNG). Texas LNG asks DOE to amend its existing authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-free trade agreement countries set forth in DOE/FE Order No. 4489 (as amended)--specifically, to extend its current export commencement deadline. Texas LNG filed the Request under the Natural Gas Act (NGA).

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 201 (Tuesday, October 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66322-66323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21425]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. 15-62-LNG]


Texas LNG Brownsville LLC; Request for Extension of Export 
Commencement Deadline

AGENCY: Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of request.

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SUMMARY: The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) of the 
Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice (Notice) of receipt of a 
request (Request), filed on September 28, 2026, by Texas LNG 
Brownsville LLC (Texas LNG). Texas LNG asks DOE to amend its existing 
authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) to non-free trade agreement countries set forth in DOE/FE Order 
No. 4489 (as amended)--specifically, to extend its current export 
commencement deadline. Texas LNG filed the Request under the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA).

DATES: Protests, motions to intervene, or notices of intervention, as 
applicable, and written comments are to be filed electronically as 
detailed in the Public Comment Procedures section no later than 4:30 
p.m., Eastern time, November 19, 2026.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic Filing by email (Strongly encouraged): 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#accac9decbcddfecc4dd82c8c3c982cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="66000314010715260e174802090348010910">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    Postal Mail, Hand Delivery, or Private Delivery Services (e.g., 
FedEx, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of Energy (EX-31), Office of Global 
Energy Security, Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, Forrestal 
Building, Room 3E-056, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585.
    Due to potential delays in DOE's receipt and processing of mail 
sent through the U.S. Postal Service, we encourage respondents to 
submit filings electronically to ensure timely receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Jennifer Wade or Peri Ulrey, U.S. Department of Energy (EX-31), Office 
of Global Energy Security, Office of Strategic Resources, Hydrocarbons 
and Geothermal Energy Office, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4749 or (202) 
586-7893, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dab0bfb4b4b3bcbfa8f4adbbbebf9ab2abf4beb5bff4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87ede2e9e9eee1e2f5a9f0e6e3e2c7eff6a9e3e8e2a9e0e8f1">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#631306110a4d160f11061a230b124d070c064d040c15"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c8b8adbaa1e6bda4baadb188a0b9e6aca7ade6afa7be">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>
Christina Williams, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-76), Office of the 
Assistant General Counsel for Energy Delivery and Resilience, Forrestal 
Building, Room 6D-033, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-55281, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fc9f948e958f8895929dd28b959090959d918fbc989399d29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9cfff4eef5efe8f5f2fdb2ebf5f0f0f5fdf1efdcf8f3f9b2fbf3ea">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 10, 2020, in DOE/FE Order No. 
4489, as amended,\1\ DOE's Office of Fossil Energy (now known as the 
Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office) \2\ authorized Texas LNG to 
export domestically produced LNG by vessel from the proposed Texas LNG 
Brownsville LLC Liquefied Natural Gas Export Project (Project), to be 
located at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, to any country with which 
the United States has not entered into a free trade agreement (FTA) 
requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which 
trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries), 
pursuant to Natural Gas Act section 3(a).\3\ Texas LNG is authorized to 
export this LNG in a volume equivalent to 204.4 billion cubic feet 
(Bcf) per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas for a term extending through 
December 31, 2050.\4\
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    \1\ Texas LNG Brownsville LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 4489, Docket No. 
15-62-LNG, Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term Authorization to 
Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations 
(Feb. 10, 2020), amended by DOE/FE Order No. 4489-A (Dec. 10, 2020) 
(extending export term).
    \2\ The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) changed its name to the 
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) on July 4, 
2021. Subsequently, on November 20, 2025, FECM changed its name to 
HGEO. DOE uses the acronym in effect at the time of each order or 
action discussed herein.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 717b(a).
    \4\ See DOE/FE Order No. 4489-A, at 10 (Ordering Para. C).
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    Under Order No. 4489, Texas LNG is required to ``commence export 
operations using the planned Project no later than seven years from the 
date of issuance of this Order''--i.e., by February 10, 2027.\5\ In the 
Request, Texas LNG asks DOE to extend this export commencement deadline 
by five years, to February 10, 2032.\6\
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    \5\ DOE/FE Order No. 4489, at 55 (Ordering Para. D).
    \6\ See Texas LNG Brownsville LLC, Request for Extension of 
Time, Docket No. 15-62-LNG, at 2, 5-6, 12 (Sept. 28, 2026) 
[hereinafter Request].
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    In support of this Request, Texas LNG states that, in the period 
since the issuance of Order No. 4489, Texas LNG has proceeded actively 
and diligently to develop the Project toward a positive final 
investment decision (FID).\7\ Texas LNG states, however, that those 
good faith efforts have been ``substantially frustrated'' by 
extenuating circumstances outside of Texas LNG's control, most 
significantly due to six years of sustained litigation and remand 
proceedings challenging Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) 
authorization to site, construct and operate the Project by a joint 
group of opponents.\8\ Texas LNG states that ``[t]his uncertainty made 
it more difficult for Texas LNG to secure the long-term financing and 
commercial commitments necessary to reach FID and meet its current 
export commencement deadline.'' \9\
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    \7\ Id. at 7.
    \8\ Id. at 4, 8-9.
    \9\ Id. at 8-9
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    Texas LNG adds that, on August 21, 2025, the FERC granted Texas 
LNG's request for an extension of its existing construction and in-
service deadline for the Project until November 22, 2029.\10\ Texas LNG 
asserts that the requested commencement extension until February 10, 
2032, will provide Texas LNG with additional time after FERC's current 
construction and in-service deadline to execute commercial commitments 
and begin exports.\11\
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    \10\ Id. at 5, 9 (citing Tex. LNG Brownsville LLC, 192 FERC ] 
61,170 (2025)).
    \11\ Id. at 6.
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    Additionally, Texas LNG asks DOE to authorize an additional three-
year make-up period at the end of its existing

[[Page 66323]]

export authorization term through December 31, 2050, consistent with 
recent DOE practice.\12\
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    \12\ Id. at 2, 11-12.
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    Additional details can be found in the Request, posted on the DOE 
website at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/Texas%20LNG%20DOE%20EOT%20Request.pdf">https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/Texas%20LNG%20DOE%20EOT%20Request.pdf</a>.

DOE Evaluation

    In reviewing the Request, DOE will consider any issues required by 
law or policy under NGA section 3(a), DOE's regulations, and any other 
documents deemed appropriate.
    Parties that may oppose the Request should address these issues and 
documents in their comments and/or protests, as well as other issues 
deemed relevant to the Request.
    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq., requires DOE to give appropriate consideration to the 
environmental effects of its proposed decisions. No final decision will 
be issued in this proceeding until DOE has met its NEPA 
responsibilities.

Public Comment Procedures

    In response to this Notice, any person may file a protest, 
comments, or a motion to intervene or notice of intervention, as 
applicable, addressing the Request. Interested parties will be provided 
30 days from the date of publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register in which to submit comments, protests, motions to intervene, 
or notices of intervention. The public previously was given an 
opportunity to intervene in, protest, and comment on Texas LNG's long-
term non-FTA application in this docket. Therefore, DOE will not 
consider comments or protests that do not bear directly on this 
Request.
    Any person wishing to become a party to this proceeding evaluating 
Texas LNG's Request must file a motion to intervene or notice of 
intervention.\13\ The filing of comments or a protest with respect to 
the Request will not serve to make the commenter or protestant a party 
to this proceeding, although protests and comments received from 
persons who are not parties will be considered in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken on the Request. All protests, comments, 
motions to intervene, or notices of intervention must meet the 
requirements specified by DOE's regulations in 10 CFR part 590, 
including the service requirements.
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    \13\ Status as an intervenor in prior proceeding(s) in this 
docket does not continue to this proceeding evaluating Texas LNG's 
Request, and therefore any person interested in intervening to 
address the Request must file a new motion to intervene (or notice 
of intervention, as applicable). 10 CFR 590.303.
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    Filings may be submitted using one of the following methods:
    (1) Submitting the filing electronically at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#32545740555341725a431c565d571c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="482e2d3a2f293b082039662c272d662f273e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>;
    (2) Mailing the filing to the Office of Global Energy Security at 
the address listed in the ADDRESSES section; or
    (3) Hand delivering the filing to the Office of Global Energy 
Security at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section.
    For administrative efficiency, DOE prefers filings to be filed 
electronically. All filings must include a reference to ``Docket No. 
15-62-LNG'' or ``Texas LNG's Request for Extension'' in the title line. 
Filings must be submitted in English to be considered.\14\
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    \14\ See Executive Order 14224 of March 1, 2025, Designating 
English as the Official Language of the United States, 90 FR 11363 
(Mar. 6, 2025).
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    For electronic submissions: Please include all related documents 
and attachments (e.g., exhibits) in the original email correspondence. 
Please do not include any active hyperlinks or password protection in 
any of the documents or attachments related to the filing. All 
electronic filings submitted to DOE must follow these guidelines to 
ensure that all documents are filed in a timely manner.
    The Request, and any filed protests, motions to intervene, notices 
of intervention, and comments will be available electronically on the 
DOE website at <a href="http://www.energy.gov/hgeo/regulation">www.energy.gov/hgeo/regulation</a>.
    A decisional record on the Request will be developed through 
responses to this Notice by parties, including the parties' written 
comments and replies thereto. Additional procedures will be used as 
necessary to achieve a complete understanding of the facts and issues. 
If an additional procedure is scheduled, notice will be provided to all 
parties. If no party requests additional procedures, a final Order may 
be issued based on the official record, including the Request and 
responses filed by parties pursuant to this Notice, in accordance with 
10 CFR 590.316.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2026.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Office of Global Energy Security, Office of Strategic 
Resources.
[FR Doc. 2026-21425 Filed 10-19-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P


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