The U.S. Department of Energy has regulatory, policy and technology responsibilities related to LNG.
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DOE's Office of Fossil Energy regulates natural gas imports and exports under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act of 1938. Shippers must obtain import authorizations from the DOE Office of Fossil Energy to bring LNG into the United States. The Office also maintains statistics of North American natural gas trade and oversees an international program pertaining to natural gas and petroleum.
Because of DOE's energy policy responsibilities, the agency facilitates coordination among federal agencies that have regulatory and policy authority for LNG. DOE also works with states through organizations such as the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). The DOE/NARUC LNG Partnership is designed to enhance communications with stakeholders to ensure responsible development of state and regional strategies relating to LNG education, resource development and deployment.
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DOE is supporting research to advance technology of importing and storing natural gas as LNG. For example, a DOE-funded project has investigated LNG storage in salt caverns through the Bishop Process, an innovative method of unloading and regasifying LNG directly from ocean tankers for storage in underground salt caverns.
Other federal agencies with jurisdiction over LNG projects include: the Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Army Corps of Engineers, Minerals Management Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. State, county, and local agencies play roles to ensure that LNG industry facilities are built and operated in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
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