Firms leading the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project have asked the members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — the body that could give the project the green light — to “issue an order approving the ACP certificate in September so that the initial construction activities and tree clearing can begin in November and conclude in early 2018 as described in the Final (Environmental Impact Statement).”
The Thursday letter is two-pages long, which cites the need for additional pipeline capacity in Virginia and North Carolina, and is signed by officials with Dominion Energy, Duke Energy and Southern Company Gas.
“As you know the FERC has two new commissioners and a backlog of projects awaiting approval, so we thought it was an appropriate time to reaffirm the urgent public need for the project and the importance of a timely decision by FERC,” said Dominion Energy spokesman Aaron Ruby. “As partners responsible for executing and delivering expanded supplies of natural gas through the proposed 600-mile ACP, we respectfully request that the (FERC) issue an order granting the Certificate for the project at the earliest possible time, consistent with the rules and regulations of the Commission,” the three said in the letter.
“This letter simply reaffirms the urgent public need for the project and the importance of a timely decision by FERC to meet the needs of our public utility customers,” Ruby said. “No one who truly understands the process can say it’s being rushed. The project has been exhaustively reviewed by more than a dozen state and federal agencies for almost three years now, and with extensive public review and participation. We’ve simply asked for the FERC to make a timely decision based on its own favorable environmental report and along the same timeframe as the work being done by other agencies.”
Farmville Herald – Jordan Miles – 09.12.2017
Posted by Nelson Bailey
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