Kentucky House Votes to End Eminent Domain for Bluegrass Pipeline

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The Bluegrass natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline is a $1.5 billion project that will stretch from the Utica/Marcellus all the way to Gulf Coast. It’s being built by Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners and as of last October the joint venture partners held an open season and said everything is on track for a 2015 launch (see Bluegrass Pipeline Launches Open Season, on Track for 2015 Launch). But a lot has happened in the past six months, including Boardwalk’s stock tanking (see Serious Concerns about Boardwalk Pipeline Partners Continue). Not only that, but there’s been a lot of anti-pipeline sentiment in Kentucky–one of the states the new pipeline must cross on its way to the Gulf Coast. So much anti-pipeline sentiment that Boardwalk and Williams have threatened using eminent domain in order to get the property they need for a crossing (see Bluegrass NGL Pipeline’s Eminent Domain Challenged in KY Court).

The eminent domain issue is coming to a head in Kentucky with respect to the Bluegrass Pipeline. Last Friday the KY House voted to approve House Bill (HB) 31 which will strip NGL pipelines of their right to use eminent domain in the state. The measure now heads to the Senate. What are its chances? No one is saying, although Boardwalk and Williams have hired no less than nine lobbyists to make their case with KY lawmakers…

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