NextDecade has announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project in South Texas.
Image: NextDecade secures draft environmental impact statement for Rio Grande LNG. Photo: courtesy of Michael & Christa Richert/Freeimages.com.
The draft EIS has also been issued for the associated Rio Bravo Pipeline to originate in the Agua Dulce area.
The draft EIS issued today was prepared in accordance with statutory requirements in the National Environmental Policy Act. FERC is the primary agency responsible for the review and permitting of LNG facilities in the United States. FERC’s rigorous process includes a detailed review of environmental, engineering, social, and other elements of proposed projects.
“We appreciate the FERC staff’s continued commitment to the review of our project,” said Matt Schatzman, NextDecade’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The draft EIS represents a culmination of several years of analysis and evaluation in conjunction with multiple federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholders.”
Schatzman said: “This milestone brings us one step closer to achieving a final investment decision on the Rio Grande LNG project, to creating thousands of jobs in the Rio Grande Valley and communities throughout the State of Texas, and to delivering reliable energy solutions to our customers around the world.”
According to the notice of schedule FERC published in August 2018, FERC will issue a final EIS on April 26, 2019. FERC has established a 90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline of July 25, 2019. Assuming a favorable FERC order, NextDecade anticipates a final investment decision on the project in the third quarter of 2019.
Source: Company Press Release