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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92672-92673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27416]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. 15-190-LNG]

Change in Control: Rio Grande LNG, LLC

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of change in control.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) of 
the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of a Statement 
and Notice of Change in Control (Notice) filed by Rio Grande LNG, LLC 
(Rio Grande LNG) on October 31, 2024. The Notice describes a change in 
Rio Grande LNG's upstream ownership. The Notice was filed under the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA).

DATES: Protests, motions to intervene, or notices of intervention, as 
applicable, and written comments are to be filed as detailed in the 
Public Comment Procedures section no later than 4:30 p.m., eastern 
time, December 9, 2024.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic Filing by email (Strongly encouraged): 
[email protected].
    Postal Mail, Hand Delivery, or Private Delivery Services (e.g., 
FedEx, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of 
Regulation, Analysis and Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 
Management, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-056, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20585.
    Due to potential delays in DOE's receipt and processing of mail 
sent through the U.S. Postal Service, we encourage respondents to 
submit filings electronically to ensure timely receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Jennifer Wade or Peri Ulrey, U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), 
Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Resource 
Sustainability, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, 
Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4749 or (202) 586-7893, 
[email protected] or  [email protected].
    Cassandra Bernstein, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-76), Office of 
the

[[Page 92673]]

Assistant General Counsel for Energy Delivery and Resilience, Forrestal 
Building, Room 6D-033, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585, (240) 780-1691, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Change in Control

    Rio Grande LNG states that, by means of a transaction (Transaction) 
that closed on October 1, 2024, its upstream ownership structure has 
changed. According to Rio Grande LNG, BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock), a 
publicly traded investment management firm domiciled in the United 
States, acquired 100% of the limited liability company interests in 
Global Infrastructure Management, LLC (GIM), a global independent 
infrastructure fund manager headquartered in New York. GIM indirectly 
owns GIP V Velocity Acquisition Partners, L.P. (GIP V Velocity), an 
indirect upstream owner of a minimum of 46.12% economic interest in Rio 
Grande LNG Intermediate Holdings, LLC (RGIH), which, in turn, 
indirectly owns 100% of Rio Grande LNG. Accordingly, as a result of the 
Transaction, BlackRock now indirectly owns a minimum of 46.12% economic 
interest in RGIH. In sum, Rio Grande LNG states that only the ownership 
of GIM is being modified as a result of the Transaction, and there are 
no modifications to RGIH's ownership of Rio Grande LNG.
    Additional details can be found in the Notice, posted on the DOE 
website at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/Rio%20Grande%20DOE%20CIC%20Filing.pdf.

DOE Evaluation

    DOE will review the Notice in accordance with its Procedures for 
Changes in Control Affecting Applications and Authorizations to Import 
or Export Natural Gas (CIC Procedures).\1\ Consistent with the CIC 
Procedures, this notice addresses Rio Grande LNG's existing 
authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries with 
which the United States has not entered into a free trade agreement 
(FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas and with 
which trade is not prohibited by United States law or policy (non-FTA 
countries), granted in DOE/FE Order No. 4492, as amended.\2\ If no 
interested person protests the change in control and DOE takes no 
action on its own motion, the proposed change in control will be deemed 
granted 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. If one or 
more protests are submitted, DOE will review any motions to intervene, 
protests, and answers, and will issue a determination as to whether the 
proposed change in control has been demonstrated to render the 
underlying authorizations inconsistent with the public interest.
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    \1\ 79 FR 65541 (Nov. 5, 2014).
    \2\ Rio Grande LNG's Notice also applies to its existing 
authorization to export LNG to FTA countries in the same docket. DOE 
will respond to that portion of the filing separately pursuant to 
the CIC Procedures, 79 FR 65542.
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Public Comment Procedures

    Interested persons will be provided 15 days from the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register to move to 
intervene, protest, and answer Rio Grande LNG's Notice.\3\ Protests, 
motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments are 
invited in response to this notice only as to the change in control 
described in the Notice. All protests, comments, motions to intervene, 
or notices of intervention must meet the requirements specified by 
DOE's regulations in 10 CFR part 590, including the service 
requirements.
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    \3\ Intervention, if granted, would constitute intervention only 
in the change in control portion of these proceedings, as described 
herein.
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    Filings may be submitted using one of the following methods:
    (1) Submitting the filing electronically at [email protected];
    (2) Mailing the filing to the Office of Regulation, Analysis, and 
Engagement at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section; or
    (3) Hand delivering the filing to the Office of Regulation, 
Analysis, and Engagement at the address listed in the ADDRESSES 
section.
    For administrative efficiency, DOE prefers filings to be filed 
electronically. All filings must include a reference to ``Docket No. 
15-190-LNG'' in the title line, or ``Rio Grande LNG, LLC Change in 
Control'' in the title line.
    For electronic submissions: Please include all related documents 
and attachments (e.g., exhibits) in the original email correspondence. 
Please do not include any active hyperlinks or password protection in 
any of the documents or attachments related to the filing. All 
electronic filings submitted to DOE must follow these guidelines to 
ensure that all documents are filed in a timely manner.
    The Notice, and any filed protests, motions to intervene, notices 
of intervention, and comments will be available electronically on the 
DOE website at www.energy.gov/fecm/regulation.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on November 19, 2024.
Amy R. Sweeney,
Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of 
Resource Sustainability.
[FR Doc. 2024-27416 Filed 11-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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