The federal energy secretary has submitted a letter to regulators in support of completing the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would cross nine West Virginia counties to transport natural gas to East Coast markets.
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm addressed her letter to members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission “about the impact the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project can have in support of the nation’s energy security and energy supply.”
Granholm asked for any remaining FERC action to proceed expeditiously.
“Energy infrastructure, like the MVP project, can help ensure the reliable delivery of energy that heats homes and businesses, and powers electric generators that support the reliability of the electric system,” Granholm wrote.
The $6.6 billion pipeline project first got authorization from FERC in 2017, but its completion has been delayed by regulatory hurdles and court challenges.
Granholm’s letter said the Department of Energy takes no position on outstanding agency actions required under federal or state law nor on pending litigation, but “we submit the view that the MVP project will enhance the Nation’s critical infrastructure for energy and national security.”
The pipeline’s developers have said its construction is near completion, but it has faced multiple legal challenges to its permits. Many of those hurdles, such as authorization to construct in the Jefferson National Forest, remain in play.
The company says it intends to bring the pipeline into service in the second half of 2023.
“We are gratified that the U.S. Department of Energy and Secretary Granholm have gone on the record to confirm what we believe and have been saying – Mountain Valley Pipeline is a critical infrastructure project that is essential for our nation’s energy security, consumer affordability, and ability to effectively transition to a lower-carbon future,” stated Natalie Cox, spokeswoman for EQM Midstream Partners.
“To ensure the reliable delivery of energy that heats homes and businesses and powers lower carbon electric generation, it is imperative that we alleviate pipeline congestion and unlock additional natural gas supply and delivery, which, in turn, will strengthen regional and national energy security.”
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., praised the letter. Manchin has pushed for the time and flexibility to complete the project.
“I’m glad to see the Administration finally joining me in recognizing the importance of completing the Mountain Valley Pipeline to American energy security and energy supply,” Manchin stated.
“This project is vital to ensure the reliable, affordable energy America is blessed with can be used to benefit the country and our allies. We cannot afford additional delays.”
Environmental groups that have been critical of the pipeline project called the energy secretary’s letter unnecessary and unusual.
“The Department of Energy’s decision to insert itself into the FERC process for Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project that has repeatedly failed to meet environmental standards, fails to appreciate the consequences for the environmental justice communities along the path of the pipeline, and for all communities suffering the harms of a rapidly warming planet,” stated Tom Cormons, executive director of Appalachian Voices.
“Last week, the president made a groundbreaking and necessary commitment to advancing environmental justice in his executive order, but to truly take a whole-of-government approach, no federal agency should attempt to place a thumb on the scale on behalf of this misguided project.”
Representatives of the Sierra Club called the pipeline project dirty and unnecessary.
“There is nothing natural about the fracked gas that would be transported through the Mountain Valley Pipeline; locking us and our communities into decades of reliance on risky fossil fuels. What we should be focusing on is transitioning into clean sustainable energy that would maintain energy reliability and security,” stated Patrick Grenter, director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign.
Granholm’s letter contended that natural gas, delivered through pipelines like MVP, can play an important role in clean energy transition.
“As extreme weather events continue to strain the U.S. energy system, adequate pipeline and transmission capacity is critical to maintaining energy reliability, availability, and security,” Granholm wrote.