Constitution Pipeline project gets conditional approval from US FERC

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has provided conditional approval for construction of the 124-mile Constitution Pipeline.

The pipeline project is being developed by a joint venture of Williams Partners, Cabot Oil Gas, Piedmont Natural Gas and WGL Holdings.

It will connect the Marcellus Shale region of Northern Pennsylvania to natural-gas markets in New York and New England.

The project will improve New York’s natural gas supply options through an interconnect with the Iroquois Pipeline.

It will provide New England markets with abundant energy through an interconnect with the Tennessee Gas Pipeline.

Domestic natural gas production in northeastern Pennsylvania will be connected with northeastern markets by late 2015 or 2016.

The pipeline will transport enough natural gas per day to serve about three million households in the US Northeast.

The project sponsors said in a joint statement, "Once in service, the Constitution Pipeline will provide critical access to new, domestic sources of natural gas, bolstering supply reliability and contributing toward stabilization of the prices consumers pay for energy."

"Now that FERC has issued its order, we look forward to receiving the remaining approvals we need to begin construction on this pipeline so that we can deliver much-needed additional natural gas supply to New York and New England as quickly as possible."

Image: The Constitution Pipeline project is being developed by a joint venture of Williams Partners, Cabot Oil Gas, Piedmont Natural Gas and WGL Holdings. Photo: Courtesy of puttsk/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.