MVP Southgate Pipeline Secures FERC Approval for Revised Route, Capacity
FERC has approved an amendment to the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project, clearing changes to the pipeline’s route and capacity as the proposed extension advances through a complex permitting process.
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved an amendment to modify the route, pipe diameter and gas-carrying capacity of the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate, a project that would extend the Mountain Valley Pipeline into North Carolina.
The Southgate project would run from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, into Rockingham County, North Carolina. Originally proposed in 2018, the extension has faced permitting challenges at the state level and has yet to secure all required water and air approvals. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is expected to issue a decision on a Clean Water Act Section 401 permit within the next two months, followed by a review from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
RELATED: Court Ruling Allows MVP’s $500 Million Southgate Pipeline Extension to Proceed
Opponents of the project have argued that the changes approved by FERC are significant enough to require a new application rather than an amendment to the certificate originally issued in 2020. They also point to competing pipeline proposals in the region, including Williams Companies’ Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, which is undergoing a separate FERC review.
FERC’s environmental analysis for Southgate concluded that the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project could reduce or eliminate the need for the Southgate extension. A decision on Williams’ project is expected in early February.
Several environmental and community groups criticized FERC’s approval, arguing the commission failed to require a full environmental impact statement and overlooked local concerns.
“FERC got it wrong, and Southgate will harm Virginia and North Carolina waterways and communities,“ said Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator at Appalachian Voices.
“For years, MVP Southgate has not moved forward and has been denied multiple permits, resulting in developers abandoning their original plans and proposing what can only be considered a totally new project,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, Co-Founder of 7 Directions of Service.
“Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate will threaten the health and well-being of thousands of people,” said Caroline Hansley, Campaign Organizing Strategist with the Sierra Club.
Other critics raised concerns about permitting processes, project costs and potential impacts on ratepayers, while reiterating opposition to new natural gas infrastructure in the region.