Under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, the federal government had to approve gas exports. Cheniere’s application was thorough and did not garner much attention. After all, the whole plan was regarded as not realistic. The application went through smoothly, and, in 2011, Cheniere received its approval. That same year, it got the first of several commitments to buy LNG from Sabine Pass. Buyers ranged from Spain to India.
