Amendment sought to require the Secretary of Energy, before approving any natural gas exports, to make a public interest determination in consideration of how exports will affect domestic natural gas prices, jobs and manufacturing, and other factors.

1. 1

   Change 1: Replaces “The Department” with “Except as provided in section 3(a)(2)(C) of the Natural Gas Act, as added by section 4 of…”

   ReplacesPage 1, line 5Printed page

   In H.R. 6 · Reported in House

   SEC. 2. ACTION ON APPLICATIONS.

   (a) Decision Deadline.--[struck: The ][inserted: Except as provided in section 3(a)(2)(C) of the Natural Gas Act, as added by section 4 of this Act), the ]Department of Energy shall issue a decision on any application for authorization to export natural gas under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) not later than 90 days after the later of--

   (1) the end of the comment period for such decision as set forth in the applicable notice published in the Federal Register; or

   Original wording

   Page 1, line 5, strike “The Department” and insert “Except as provided in section 3(a)(2)(C) of the Natural Gas Act, as added by section 4 of this Act), the Department”.

2. 2

   Change 2: Adds SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS at the end of the bill

   Adds a section

   In H.R. 6 · Reported in House

   "(g) Public Disclosure of LNG Export Destinations.--As a condition for approval of any authorization to export LNG, the Secretary of Energy shall require the applicant to publicly disclose the specific destination or destinations of any such authorized LNG exports.". Union Calendar No. 353

   Inserted: SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS.

   Inserted: Section 3(a) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(a)) is amended--

   Inserted: (1) by inserting before "After six months from the date on which" the following: "(1) authorization for the importation of natural gas.--";

   Inserted: (2) by striking "export any natural gas from the United States to a foreign country or";

   Inserted: (3) by striking "exportation or"; and

   Inserted: (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

   Inserted: "(2) Authorization for the Exportation of Natural Gas.--

   Inserted: "(A) Prohibition.--No person may export any natural gas from the United States to a foreign country without first having secured an order of the Secretary of Energy authorizing such person to do so.

   Inserted: "(B) Issuance of orders.--The Secretary of Energy may issue an order authorizing a person to export natural gas from the United States to a foreign country, upon application, if the Secretary determines that the proposed exportation will be consistent with the public interest, in accordance with the regulations issued under paragraph (3)(B). The Secretary may by order grant such application, in whole or in part, with such modification and upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may find necessary or appropriate.

   Inserted: "(C) Timing.--No order may be issued by the Secretary of Energy under this paragraph prior to the date on which the Secretary issues final regulations under paragraph (3)(B).

   Inserted: "(3) Public Interest Determination.--

   Inserted: "(A) NEPA review.--The Secretary of Energy shall issue a detailed statement under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) of the environmental impact of the issuance of orders under paragraph (2), including by conducting an analysis of the impacts of extraction of exported natural gas on the environment in communities where the natural gas is extracted.

   Show 17 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: "(B) Regulations.--

   Inserted: "(i) Deadline.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary of Energy shall issue final regulations, after notice and public comment, for determining whether an export of natural gas from the United States to a foreign country is in the public interest for purposes of issuing an order under paragraph (2).

   Inserted: "(ii) Contents.--Regulations issued under this paragraph shall require the Secretary of Energy to determine, with respect to each application for export of natural gas from the United States to a foreign country, whether such export is in the public interest through--

   Inserted: "(I) use of the latest available data on current and projected United States natural gas demands, production, and price;

   Inserted: "(II) consideration of the effects of such natural gas exports on--

   Inserted: "(aa) household and business energy expenditures by electricity and natural gas consumers in the United States;

   Inserted: "(bb) the United States economy, jobs, and manufacturing, including such effects on wages, investment, and energy intensive and trade exposed industries, as determined by the Secretary;

   Inserted: "(cc) the energy security of the United States, including the ability of the United States to reduce its reliance on imported oil;

   Inserted: "(dd) the conservation of domestic natural gas supplies to meet the future energy needs of the United States;

   Inserted: "(ee) the potential for natural gas use in the transportation, industrial, and electricity sectors of the United States;

   Inserted: "(ff) the ability of the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

   Inserted: "(gg) the volume of natural gas produced on public lands in the United States, and where such natural gas is consumed;

   Inserted: "(hh) domestic natural gas supply and availability, including such effects on pipelines and other infrastructure;

   Inserted: "(ii) the balance of trade of the United States; and

   Inserted: "(jj) other issues determined relevant by the Secretary; and

   Inserted: "(III) consideration of the detailed statement issued under subparagraph (A).

   Inserted: "(4) Exemptions.--Paragraph (2) does not apply with respect to any order authorizing the exportation of natural gas if the natural gas that would be exported as a result of the order is exported solely to meet a requirement imposed pursuant to section 203 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702), section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 5(b)), or part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.). In such cases, the Secretary of Energy may issue such order upon application without modification or delay.".

   Original wording

   At the end of the bill, add the following new section:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed