LNG Exporter Bows Out of Sierra Club Suit on DOE Grant of Approval for Additional LNG Exports

Liquified natural gas export project Magnolia LNG withdrew from a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club challenging the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management approval of Magnolia LNG's and Golden Pass LNG Terminal's applications to increase their authorized LNG export volumes. Submitting its motion on Dec. 1 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Magnolia said it wanted to withdraw as a respondent-intervenor "because it has determined to move forward with a new application to Energy for authorization to export LNG to non-free trade nations" (Sierra Club v. U.S. Department of Energy, D.C. Cir. # 22-1217).

The suit concerns two orders from DOE that allow Magnolia to export LNG to a nation with which the U.S. doesn't have a free trade agreement, increasing export volumes from 394.2 billion to 449 billion cubic feet per year. In moving to withdraw, Magnolia said the authorizations expired Nov. 30, since export operations hadn't started. As a result, the exporter said it "no longer has an interest in this proceeding," adding that the Sierra Club's case is now moot.

The appellate court held oral argument Oct. 17. on this case.