Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Transco | Williams
Blue States v FERC – Left Using Transco Case to Defeat New Pipes
Two weeks ago MDN told you that eight “blue” states, including New Jersey (the Blue State Mafia), are challenging the Williams Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project, a plan to beef up the Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deliver an extra 829 MMcf/d of Marcellus gas to PA, NJ, and Maryland (see NJ & 7 Other States File Challenge to FERC Approval of Transco REAE). We think there’s a close parallel between the court challenge against REAE and the now-defunct PennEast Pipeline.
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Williams, one of the largest pipeline companies in the world, issued its second quarter update yesterday. The company reported 2Q23 net income of $515 million, up 5% from 2Q22. The company had record high gathering volumes of 18.03 Bcf/d. The company provided updates for two important Marcellus/Utica projects. (1) Williams continues constructing the Regional Energy Access (REA) project with partial in-service expected in 4Q23. REA beefs up the Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deliver an extra 829 MMcf/d of Marcellus gas to PA, NJ, and Maryland. (2) Williams received a FERC certificate for its Southside Reliability Enhancement Project, a project to beef up capacity along the Transco to flow an extra 423 MMcf/d of M-U gas to Piedmont Natural Gas and its customers in eastern North Carolina. But a third M-U project was mentioned not previously on our radar screen.
In April, Williams filed a formal application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to upgrade Transco pipeline’s capacity in Alabama and Georgia. The Alabama Georgia Connector Project involves upgrades to five compressor stations that will increase capacity in the region by an extra 63.8 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). The mighty Transco pipeline is a 10,200-mile natural gas transportation system that extends from south Texas to New York City. Transco is the nation’s largest-volume natural gas pipeline system, transporting about 15% of the natural gas consumed in the United States. Williams reversed the flow on Transco years ago to flow Marcellus/Utica gas to the south.
In March, environmental radical Pat McDonnell of PennFuture, the former Pennsylvania Secretary of the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with his best friend THE Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, sued McDonnell’s former agency over permits the DEP issued to Williams to build the Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project (see 
We have an update to a project we first told you about in June of last year called the Southside Reliability Enhancement Project (see 
A little over a month ago, MDN brought you the good news that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the Williams Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project, a plan to beef up the Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deliver an extra 829 MMcf/d of Marcellus gas to PA, NJ, and Maryland (see 
In March 2019, MDN told you about a new Williams plan to beef up the Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deliver an extra 829 MMcf/d of Marcellus gas to PA, NJ, and Maryland (see 
Here’s something you won’t read on any other news or blog site: Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) failed to issue a final certificate to build and operate the Williams Transco Regional Energy Access Expansion project. The project is vital for delivering more Pennsylvania Marcellus gas to New Jersey and beyond. Williams CEO Alan Armstrong, in a strongly-worded letter to FERC Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick in November, warned the project is in jeopardy if it doesn’t get a certificate now, this year (see 
On Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold its last meeting of 2022. It appears it will be the very last meeting for FERC Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick, who has been blocked from receiving a reappointment hearing by WV Sen. Joe Manchin. Without a hearing, Glick will be forced to step down after this year. Blocking Glick is about the only thing Manchin has done right this year. At any rate, at Friday’s meeting, the five (soon to be four) FERC commissioners will vote on a variety of issues. Two of the issues (projects) are vital to the Marcellus/Utica: a new certificate for the Spire STL Pipeline to continue operating, and a certificate to allow the Williams Transco Regional Energy Access Expansion project to proceed.
This is rare. The CEO of Williams (Alan Armstrong), one of the largest pipeline (midstream) companies in the U.S. and on the planet, sent an open letter (an official filing) to the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Richard “Dick” Glick, using pretty abrupt language to tell Glick FERC needs to approve the Regional Energy Access expansion project by November 30th or the project WILL be delayed by a full year. The letter has the look and feel of an ultimatum.