SAN DIEGO, Sept. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), has received a Notice of Schedule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that sets Jan. 31, 2019, as the planned completion date of the final environmental impact statement for siting, construction and operation of the proposed Port Arthur LNG natural gas liquefaction-export project in Jefferson County, Texas. 

"This is an important step forward in the federal regulatory review to construct our Port Arthur liquefaction-export project on Texas' Gulf Coast," said Joseph A. Householder, president and chief operating officer of Sempra Energy. "Federal and Texas state policymakers have been instrumental in supporting U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to bolster the U.S. economy."  

"Sempra Energy's new liquefaction facility will be a boon to the Port Arthur community and to the entire state of Texas," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. "This project will not only create thousands of jobs and benefit the local economies, but it will also be a boost to our nation's economy. I thank Sempra Energy for their investment in Texas and Port Arthur, and I look forward to the completion of this project."

"I am honored to have worked to make the Port Arthur LNG export project a reality, which will bring thousands of jobs to Texas and renewed prosperity to communities like Port Arthur, where families are still rebuilding one year after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey," U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said. "Our Gulf communities remain strong, and Texas continues to forge ahead as an energy leader for America and the entire world."

"Southeast Texas is America's energy gateway," said U.S. Rep. Randy Weber. "As more LNG facilities come online, the contributions our region makes to America's energy dominance further increase. I am grateful to FERC for finalizing the notice of schedule, allowing Sempra Energy to complete this project years in the making."

The FERC issued its Notice of Schedule for the proposed Port Arthur liquefaction-export project Aug. 31. The project is expected to include two natural gas liquefaction trains to enable the long-term sale of approximately 11 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG; feed gas pre-treatment facilities; natural gas liquids and refrigerant storage; up to three LNG storage tanks; two marine berths and associated facilities.

The ultimate decision to construct the Port Arthur liquefaction project is contingent upon obtaining binding customer commitments and financing arrangements; reaching a definitive engineering, procurement and construction contract; securing all necessary permits and approvals including a FERC order approving the siting, construction and operation of the project and reaching a final investment decision.

Sempra Energy, a San Diego-based energy services holding company with 2017 revenues of more than $11 billion, is the utility holding company with the largest U.S. customer base. The Sempra Energy companies' approximately 20,000 employees serve more than 40 million consumers worldwide.

This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "contemplates," "assumes," "depends," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "target," "pursue," "outlook," "maintain," or similar expressions or discussions of guidance, strategies, plans, goals, opportunities, projections, initiatives, objectives or intentions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.

Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: actions and the timing of actions, including decisions, new regulations, and issuances of permits and other authorizations by the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, states, cities and counties, and other regulatory and governmental bodies in the United States and other countries in which we operate; the timing and success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks in timely obtaining or maintaining permits and other authorizations, risks in completing construction projects on schedule and on budget, and risks in obtaining the consent and participation of partners and counterparties; the availability of natural gas and liquefied natural gas, and natural gas pipeline and storage capacity; equipment failures; changes in energy markets; volatility in commodity prices; moves to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; risks posed by actions of third parties who control the operations of our investments, and risks that our partners or counterparties will be unable or unwilling to fulfill their contractual commitments; weather conditions, natural disasters, accidents, equipment failures, computer system outages, explosions, terrorist attacks and other events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities and systems, cause the release of greenhouse gases and harmful emissions, and subject us to third-party liability for property damage or personal injuries, fines and penalties, some of which may not be covered by insurance (including costs in excess of applicable policy limits) or may be disputed by insurers; cybersecurity threats to storage and pipeline infrastructure, the information and systems used to operate our businesses; the impact of recent federal tax reform and uncertainty as to how it may be applied, and our ability to mitigate adverse impacts; changes in foreign and domestic trade policies and laws, including border tariffs, revisions to international trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, that make us less competitive or impair our ability to resolve trade disputes; and other uncertainties, some of which may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control.

These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra Energy's website at www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and Sempra Energy or its subsidiaries undertake no obligation to update or revise these forecasts or projections or other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Sempra South American Utilities, Sempra North American Infrastructure, Sempra LNG & Midstream, Sempra Renewables, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utility, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and Sempra South American Utilities, Sempra North American Infrastructure, Sempra LNG & Midstream, Sempra Renewables, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utility, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

SOURCE Sempra Energy