Governors Could Influence Fate of Offshore LNG Facilities
As opponents of two proposed offshore Gulf Coast LNG projects express environmental concerns over open-loop regasification technology, the deadlines loom for the governors of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to issue a decision on the fate of those projects. An approval or veto for both Freeport-MacMoRan’s Main Pass Energy Hub offshore Louisiana and ConocoPhillips’ Compass Port facility offshore Alabama is due by May 7 and June 11, respectively. According to The Mobile Register, staff members of Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour have indicated that the governors remain concerned about the impact on Gulf fisheries from the use of open-loop vaporizers to regasify the LNG, which may foreshadow a gubernatorial veto for the projects. Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama has voiced support for the development of LNG infrastructure, but not if the projects threaten the state’s fishing industry. Under the Deepwater Port Act, governors of adjacent coastal states possess the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or reject offshore LNG projects. [Access to archived articles requires a fee.]