II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2096 

To amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004 to provide for 

the authorization of liquified natural gas terminals and related facilities 

necessary for the export of Alaska natural gas, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 6, 2014 

Mr. BEGICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004 

to provide for the authorization of liquified natural gas 

terminals and related facilities necessary for the export 

of Alaska natural gas, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Freedom Through Energy Export Act’’. 

6 (b) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise expressly 

7 provided, wherever in this Act an amendment is expressed 

8 in terms of an amendment to a section or other provision, 


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1 the reference shall be considered to be made to a section 

2 or other provision of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act 

3 of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 720 et seq.). 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF ALASKA NATURAL GAS TRANSPOR5 TATION PROJECT. 

6 Section 102(2) (15 U.S.C. 720(2)) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B); 

8 (2) by inserting ‘‘any of the following projects 

9 authorized under the Alaska Natural Gas Transpor10 tation Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 719 et seq.) or sec11 tion 103:’’ after ‘‘means’’; 

12 (3) by striking ‘‘any natural gas pipeline sys13 tem’’ and inserting the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) Any natural gas pipeline system’’; 

15 (4) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated) by 

16 striking ‘‘that is authorized under—’’ and inserting 

17 a period at the end; and 

18 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(B) Except with respect to projects de20 scribed in section 116, any liquified natural gas 

21 terminal and any facilities necessary or required 

22 for the export of Alaska natural gas (including 

23 related facilities subject to the jurisdiction of 

24 the Commission).’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVEN2 IENCE AND NECESSITY. 

3 Section 103 (15 U.S.C. 720a) is amended— 

4 (1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘OR OTHER

5 COMMISSION AUTHORIZATION’’ after ‘‘NECES6 SITY’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (a)— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘may, in accordance’’ and 

9 inserting ‘‘may— 

10 ‘‘(1) in accordance’’; 

11 (B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 

12 striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

13 or’’; and 

14 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(2) in accordance with section 3 of the Nat16 ural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b), consider and act on 

17 an application for authorization for a liquefied nat18 ural gas terminal and any related facilities deter19 mined necessary or required for the export of Alaska 

20 natural gas other than the Alaska natural gas trans21 portation system.’’; 

22 (3) in subsection (b)— 

23 (A) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘OR

24 OTHER AUTHORIZATION’’ after ‘‘CERTIFI25 CATE’’; and 

26 (B) in paragraph (1)— 


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1 (i) by striking ‘‘shall issue a certifi2 cate’’ and inserting ‘‘shall issue— 

3 ‘‘(A) a certificate’’; 

4 (ii) in subparagraph (A) (as so des5 ignated), by striking the period at the end 

6 and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

7 (iii) by adding at the end the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(B) an authorization for the siting, con10 struction, and operation of an Alaska natural 

11 gas transportation project, if the applicant has 

12 satisfied the requirements of section 3 of the 

13 Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) for a lique14 fied natural gas terminal and any related facili15 ties determined necessary or required for the 

16 export of Alaska natural gas.’’; 

17 (4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘for the 

18 project under section 7(c))’’ and all that follows 

19 through the period at the end and inserting ‘‘for the 

20 projects under— 

21 ‘‘(1) section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 

22 U.S.C. 717b); 

23 ‘‘(2) section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (15 

24 U.S.C. 717f(c)); and 

25 ‘‘(3) this section.’’; and 


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1 (5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘The holder of 

2 the certificate’’ and inserting ‘‘The holder of a cer3 tificate’’. 

4 SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS. 

5 Section 104(a) (15 U.S.C. 720b(a)) is amended by 

6 inserting ‘‘under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (15 

7 U.S.C. 717f) or the issuance of an authorization under 

8 section 3 of that Act (15 U.S.C. 717b)’’ after ‘‘certificate 

9 of public convenience and necessity’’. 

10 SEC. 5. FEDERAL COORDINATOR. 

11 Section 106(c) (15 U.S.C. 720d(c)) is amended— 

12 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or a pipeline 

13 project that carries natural gas from the Alaska 

14 North Slope to market south of 68 degrees north 

15 latitude’’ after ‘‘Alaska natural gas transportation 

16 project’’; 

17 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

18 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(3) to ensure that Federal agencies are fully 

21 informed in carrying out an Alaska natural gas 

22 transportation project, providing Federal agencies 

23 with information about— 

24 ‘‘(A) the Alaska natural gas transportation 

25 project; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) any commercial, technological, or reg2 ulatory issues that could affect the project.’’. 

3 SEC. 6. CLARIFICATION OF ANGTA STATUS AND AUTHORI4 TIES. 

5 Section 110(b) (15 U.S.C. 720h(b)) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 

7 subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indent8 ing appropriately; 

9 (2) by striking ‘‘Any Federal agency’’ and in10 serting the following: 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any Federal agency’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(2) EFFECT.—Nothing in this Act or the Alas14 ka Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976 (15 

15 U.S.C. 719 et seq.) shall preclude the construction 

16 of a gas liquefaction terminal or any other facilities 

17 determined necessary or required for the transpor18 tation and export of natural gas from the Alaska 

19 North Slope.’’. 

20 SEC. 7. ALASKA PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PRO21 GRAM. 

22 Section 113 (15 U.S.C. 720k) is amended— 

23 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘gas 

2 pipeline system’’ and inserting ‘‘natural gas 

3 transportation project’’; and 

4 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘gas 

5 pipeline’’ and inserting ‘‘natural gas transpor6 tation project’’; and 

7 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘pipeline 

8 system’’ and inserting ‘‘transportation project’’. 

9 SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING ALASKAN OWN10 ERSHIP. 

11 Section 115(1) (15 U.S.C. 720m(1)) is amended by 

12 striking ‘‘pipeline’’ and inserting ‘‘transportation project’’. 

13 SEC. 9. LOAN GUARANTEES. 

14 Section 116(a)(1) (15 U.S.C. 720n(a)(1)) is amended 

15 by inserting ‘‘that includes a pipeline to the border be16 tween Alaska and Canada approved pursuant to section 

17 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f(c))’’ after 

18 ‘‘qualified infrastructure project’’. 

19 SEC. 10. EXPEDITED APPROVAL OF EXPORTATION OF NAT20 URAL GAS TO UNITED STATES ALLIES. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas 

22 Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(c)) is amended— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘(c) For purposes’’ and insert24 ing the following: 


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1 ‘‘(c) EXPEDITED APPLICATION AND APPROVAL

2 PROCESS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes.’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 

5 striking ‘‘nation with which there is in effect a free 

6 trade agreement requiring national treatment for 

7 trade in natural gas’’ and inserting ‘‘foreign country 

8 described in paragraph (2)’’; and 

9 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(2) FOREIGN COUNTRY DESCRIBED.—A for11 eign country described in this paragraph is— 

12 ‘‘(A) a country with which the United 

13 States has in effect a free trade agreement re14 quiring national treatment for trade in natural 

15 gas; 

16 ‘‘(B) a member country of the North At17 lantic Treaty Organization; 

18 ‘‘(C) subject to paragraph (3), Japan; and 

19 ‘‘(D) any other foreign country if the Sec20 retary of State, in consultation with the Sec21 retary of Defense, determines that exportation 

22 of natural gas to that foreign country would 

23 promote the national security interests of the 

24 United States. 


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1 ‘‘(3) EXPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS TO

2 JAPAN.—The exportation of natural gas to Japan 

3 shall be deemed to be consistent with the public in4 terest pursuant to paragraph (1), and applications 

5 for such exportation shall be granted without modi6 fication or delay under that paragraph, during only 

7 such period as the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation 

8 and Security, signed at Washington January 19, 

9 1960, and entered into force June 23, 1960 (11 

10 UST 1632; TIAS 4509), between the United States 

11 and Japan, remains in effect.’’. 

12 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

13 subsection (a) shall apply to applications for the author14 ization to export natural gas under section 3 of the Nat15 ural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) that are pending on, or 

16 filed on or after, the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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