The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has conditionally approved the construction of two major natural gas pipeline projects proposed on the East Coast.
The approvals with conditions have been granted for the proposed Mountain Valley and the $5bn Atlantic Coast pipeline projects, which will collectively deliver 3.44 Bcf/d of natural gas to the Southeast.
Estimated to cost $3.5bn, the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be 300 miles long running from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia.
The project will be constructed and owned by Mountain Valley Pipeline, a joint venture of EQT Midstream Partners, NextEra US Gas Assets, Con Edison Transmission, WGL Midstream; and RGC Midstream.
The proposed 564.1 miles Atlantic Coast Pipeline runs through the regions of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.
It is being developed by joint venture between Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Southern Company Gas.
Duke Energy chairman, president and CEO Lynn Good said that the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will deliver affordable, clean natural gas as well as increase consumer savings, enhance reliability and enable more renewable energy.
Lynn Good added: “It also supports our plan to produce cleaner energy through newer, highly-efficient natural gas plants and allows more capacity for Piedmont Natural Gas to serve new homes and businesses.
Duke Energy plans to secure the remaining permits for the project, which will have a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas, and commence construction later this year.
Image: The two proposed pipeline projects in the US will deliver 3.44Bcf/d of natural gas to the Southeast. Photo: courtesy of Duke Energy Corporation.