Glenfarne’s Texas LNG cleared a legal hurdle on July 31, as the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a court-ordered revised environmental statement.
“Glenfarne and Texas LNG appreciate the efforts of FERC staff for concluding their thorough review of Texas LNG’s environmental and socioeconomic considerations,” said Glenfarne CEO Brendan Duval in a press release.
The FERC issued the revised environmental impact statement (EIS) on the same day it released a similarly revised EIS for the NextDecade Rio Grande project. Both projects are close to Brownsville in South Texas.
The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, ordered the revised EIS as part of an August 2024 ruling in twin cases that began in 2019. Environmental and local groups have been opposed to the projects, citing pollution concerns.
The court ordered that the FERC’s revisions had to address issues such as environmental justice as well as downstream and upstream impacts of greenhouse-gas emissions of the projects. The Supreme Court ruled in June that EIS statements did not have to address the issues.
The revised EIS repeats the high court’s opinion that the issues do not fall under its jurisdiction.
Texas LNG expects to receive its final FERC permit in November. Glenfarne plans to reach a final investment decision on Texas LNG by the end of 2025.