A company that's proposed a natural gas pipeline through Rockingham and Alamance counties wants more time to complete the project. It's up to federal energy regulators to approve the request.
The MVP Southgate project is an extension of the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would carry natural gas from West Virginia close to the North Carolina state line.
Permits for the project expired last month, but the company behind Southgate asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an additional three years. That's because Congress approved construction for the Mountain Valley Pipeline in May.
Several companies and elected officials have written to FERC to show their support for the extension.
“New natural gas electric generation is required in the Carolinas to meet increasing load, to support reliability, to satisfy the Companies’ integrated resource plans and to keep the Companies on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” says Duke Energy’s letter.
Rockingham County commissioners say the project will help the county “build on its recent economic successes.” State treasurer Dale Folwell says the pipeline will help diversify North Carolina’s energy sources.
Opponents, including people who live along the pipeline route, have also submitted comments in opposition to the Southgate project. Democratic congresswomen Valerie Foushee and Kathy Manning are also opposed. Manning and Foushee cite opposition by Alamance County commissioners and the Rockingham County town of Stoneville about possible pollution of the Mayo, Dan, and Haw rivers.
“Our constituents have also shared their concerns about the MVP exercising eminent domain to complete construction of the extension, which would threaten private property and family farms,” the congresswomen said in a statement.
FERC is accepting public comment through July 24.
You can read submissions here.
