Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week approved permits for four liquefied natural gas export projects in Texas, including three in Brownsville and one in Corpus Christi. Neil Chatterjee, FERC chairman, said, “The commission now has completed its work on applications for 11 LNG export projects in the past nine months, helping the U.S. expand the availability of natural gas for our global allies who need access to an efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly fuel for power generation.”
The FERC approved permits Nov. 21, with conditions, for Texas LNG, Rio Grande LNG and Annova LNG at Port of Brownsville and an expansion of Corpus Christi LNG by Cheniere Energy. Rio Grande LNG is being developed by NextDecade, Annova LNG is a subsidiary of Chicago utility company Exelon, and Texas LNG is being developed by a company of the same name. The three Brownsville projects represent more than $38 billion of private investment. Corpus Christi LNG already has two LNG production units in operation with a third under construction; this new FERC permit will permit Cheniere to build seven smaller units at the site.