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The consortium pushing a revamped plan to build a massive natural gas port in Coos Bay says the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president had no impact whatsoever on its decision to reapply for permits.

Despite reports last year heralding the death of the $7.5 billion , backers are currently聽preparing another application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — a third try — and this one they say聽will have a much stronger chance of success.

And the ascension of a fervently pro-deregulation Republican to the nation’s highest office had nothing to do with it, according to Michael Hinrichs, spokesman for Calgary-based Veresen, the project’s lead investor.

鈥淟ike a lot of the nation, many on our team were surprised by the outcome,鈥� Hinrichs said. 鈥淲e certainly didn’t plan for one administration or the other. The decision to reapply occurred pretty much immediately when we realized our last appeal was denied.鈥�

The project was first considered by FERC in 2007. In that iteration it would have served as an import facility that received gas from the Middle East and Russia. Despite winning approval,聽changes in the global market for fossil fuels altered the picture for developers, who abandoned their plan to import.

The most recent application, this time for an export facility at the same location, was rejected by FERC last year. It would have provided more than 8 billion cubic feet of LNG per day. But Obama-era regulators argued that the project application failed to demonstrate existing commercial demand. The plan was also opposed by environmentalists and many landowners along the 235-mile connector route through Oregon.

Hinrichs said the latest iteration includes more than 50 route changes to accommodate property owners.聽And two Japanese buyers interested in the vast natural gas deposits of the U.S. West are now involved.聽A 420-megawatt power plant has also been cut from the plan.

But聽the FERC application聽is just the first of around 30 state and federal permits needed for the project to move forward.

Another apparent advantage for supporters is Jordan Cove appears to have a . Trump’s administration may have tipped its hand when economic adviser to the president Gary Cohn said聽at a policy talk聽that it’s looking to expand fossil fuel extraction in the U.S. West.

鈥淭he first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to permit an LNG export facility in the Northwest,鈥澛燙ohn said at the time, according to the Washington Post.

In response, Oregon’s two senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, wrote letters urging the president to stay out it.聽(Neither has formally taken a side for or against the project.)

Longtime project opponent Robyn Jenssen, executive director of Rogue Riverkeeper, said the opposition coalition is still engaged and keeping a close eye on the project.

鈥淯nder the new administration, there will probably be more support, but I would honestly say that the campaign against it has grown and that it’s bigger and better than ever,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hings actually haven’t changed. It’s actually fired up this side even more.鈥�

Rogue Riverkeeper is concerned the project will negatively affect waterways in the upper Rogue Basin. But Jenssen said it’s difficult to know where to focus opposition with so much hinging on handshake agreements among the owners and their partners.

鈥淚t’s a lot of talk until we see some documents,鈥� she said.

Another boost for project supporters came last month when Coos County voters rejected a ballot measure that would have banned the project. Emboldened by the chance of success after 15 years, Hinrichs said owners are ready to file 鈥減retty much鈥� every document again.

鈥淏y the time Jordan Cove moves fully through this process, we think that it’s going to be one of the most thoroughly vetted projects in the nation,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know that there are going to be legal challenges 鈥� Oregon has strict environmental laws. But I think we’ll meet all those and the federal laws, and we’re more than willing to do it because we know that our project is sound.鈥�