Equitrans Midstream Corp. today received US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization to move forward with all remaining construction associated with its 2-bcfd Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline project (MVP). MVP had requested FERC approval on June 26, 2023, for the pipeline that first got its certificate of public convenience and necessity Oct. 13, 2017.
The 303-mile pipeline, construction of which is 94% complete, will carry Marcellus shale gas production from Wetzel County, W. Va., to Transcontinental Pipe Line Co. LLC’s Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Va. Construction began in February 2018.
In July 2018, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated the Forest Service’s record of decision and the Bureau of Land Management’s right-of-way grant that authorized the project to cross Jefferson National Forest. MVP has been the subject of legal wrangling ever since.
In its most recent authorization FERC noted specifically that Mountain Valley is authorized to proceed with construction in the Jefferson National Forest, and all remaining waterbody crossings, including waterbody crossings previously approved through the commission’s variance process.
Pres. Joe Biden earlier this month signed legislation approving all necessary permits and authorizations required for the pipeline’s construction and operation (OGJ Online, June 5, 2023). Equitrans intends to complete construction by end-2023 at an estimated cost of $6.6 billion.
