Page 8 - NorthAmOil Week 03 2023

NorthAmOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT NorthAmOil

Federal regulators approve Transco

gas pipeline expansion

US NORTHEAST THE US Federal Energy Regulatory Commis- said the API’s vice president of midstream pol-
sion (FERC) has approved Transcontinental Gas icy, Robin Rorick. “A modern US infrastructure
Pipe Line’s (Transco ) Regional Energy Access system with a transparent, timely and consist-
expansion project in the country’s Northeast. ent permitting process is a bipartisan issue and
Transco is a subsidiary of Williams. is crucial to harnessing the power of American
The approval was given in a 4:0 vote. How- energy.”
ever, it is not universally supported, with the Environmental groups intend to appeal The expansion,
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities having said against the FERC’s decision and are urging the
that the project is not needed because the state Democratic New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, involving new
has adequate gas pipeline capacity until 2030. to block the expansion. Murphy has made green-
The expansion, involving new and upgraded house gas (GHG) emissions a cornerstone of his and upgraded
facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and policy platform.
Maryland, would deliver gas from the Mar- “[Transco’s pipeline expansion] will under- facilities in
cellus shale play in north-east Pennsylvania. It mine New Jersey’s goal of reducing greenhouse Pennsylvania,
would provide greater access to gas in time for gases [by] 50% by 2030 and would actually lead
the 2024 winter heating season, according to to a 16% increase in our total greenhouse gas New Jersey and
Williams. output annually,” said the New Jersey League
Gas supply constraints in the region would of Conservation Voters’ executive director, Ed Maryland, would
be eased, Williams has said , with the expansion Potosnak, following the FERC’s approval.
providing enough gas supply to serve around Indeed, the FERC has acknowledged that the deliver gas from
3mn homes. The project is designed to increase expanded pipeline, once operating, could lead to the Marcellus
natural gas transportation capacity by up to a rise in New Jersey’s emissions by 11.8% com-
829,000 dekatherms (24.1mn cubic metres) per pared to 2019 levels. shale.
day. The regulator acknowledged New Jersey’s
The American Petroleum Institute (API) goals of emissions reduction, but noted that gas
welcomed the approval. “We are pleased that utilities are not required to adopt non-pipeline
FERC has unanimously recognised the vital alternatives – such as electrification of buildings
importance of a reliable energy supply to support – and that alternatives, from renewable natural
growing energy demand at home and abroad,” gas to green hydrogen, may not be available.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 19•January•2023