Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project gains air quality plan approval from Pennsylvania officials

Dive Brief:

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has approved the Air Quality Plan proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line for the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Project.
Additionally, Williams Partners, which owns Transco and is developing the Atlantic Sunrise project, announced last month that it had received permits from the DEP, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, related to the Transco expansion.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the project in February of this year. Williams expects to begin construction in the third quarter of this year and bring the new capacity online in late 2018.

Dive Insight:

Williams Partners designed the Atlantic Sunrise expansion to help alleviate infrastructure bottlenecks in Pennsylvania, ultimately connecting more Marcellus Shale gas supplies with markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S.

According to the company, the expansion will cost almost $3 billion and is designed to increase deliveries by 1.7 billion cubic feet per day — enough to serve about 7 million homes. Williams Partners said its net investment in the Atlantic Sunrise project will be approximately $1.9 billion. The project is expected to indirectly support approximately 8,000 jobs in 10 Pennsylvania counties during construction.

DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement that the agency "thoroughly reviewed the application to ensure that temporary emissions during the construction phase of this project will be minimal and completely offset by reductions elsewhere."

The DEP's approval also authorizes the use of Emission Reduction Credits to comply with the offset requirements of Pennsylvania law. Transco will still need FERC authority to begin construction in Pennsylvania.

Alan Armstrong, Williams’ president and CEO, said in a previous statement that the milestones are vital to the project . The Atlantic Sunrise expansion "will leverage existing infrastructure to deliver economic growth and help millions of Americans gain access to affordable Pennsylvania-produced clean-burning natural gas," he said.