Energy Department to prioritize 'commercially advanced' natural gas exports

The Energy Department proposed changes to the natural gas export review process to prioritize “the more commercially advanced projects,” a move that would address concerns that the department is moving too slowly on proposals involving countries that lack a free-trade agreement with the United States.

The DOE proposed ending its practice of conditionally approving applications and would instead reject or approve projects once they received a passing environmental grade from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. That would lay waste to the first-come, first-served basis the department currently employs, in effect moving projects that have already spent millions of dollars in a FERC pre-filing process to the front of the line.