Developers abandoned the Jordan Cove project in Coos Bay in 2021 after failing to secure state permits.
Now, Mark Kekkonen, managing member and sole employee of the liquefied natural gas startup OA Partners, filed a motion with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reopen the project.
Kekkonen said he鈥檚 looking to push forward projects to provide business for his venture retrofitting tankers to ship gas overseas to Asia.
鈥淚n order to fill those tankers up, you got to have a source of gas, and this facility will be able to do that,鈥� he said.
Kekkonen said if nobody else wants it, he would develop the project himself.
The Jordan Cove Project faced heavy opposition from landowners, the fishing industry, local tribes and environmental groups.
Susan Jane Brown, a lawyer who represented landowners, said any attempt to revive the project would face another round of costly litigation and public outcry.
Kekkonen said the Trump administration鈥檚 goal to boost natural gas exports means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should reexamine this project.
In the motion submitted Monday, Kekkonen cited a about strengthening the security of federal facilities, saying it prioritizes LNG exports, which the order does not mention. signed by Trump on January 20 does direct the Secretary of Energy to "restart reviews of applications for approvals of liquefied natural gas export projects as expeditiously as possible, consistent with applicable law.鈥�
FERC approved the Jordan Corve project, but developers abandoned the project over state permitting issues.
Kekkonen is asking FERC to waive the approximately $40,000 filing fee for the motion, stating he can鈥檛 afford to pay it. He鈥檚 also seeking a $1.25 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Maritime Administration for his LNG tanker endeavors.
鈥淏eing off work for a year and a half, it takes away from all your savings,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o you have to use what you got, and in order to get around that, one of the features of this great nation is a waiver.鈥�
