On Tuesday, Dominion Energy Inc. filed a pledge to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to prolong the completion of its Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline to 2022.
The company’s expected delays were led by the decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit related to US Forest Service Record of Decision and Special Use Permit, including the crossing of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, its US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement, and the air permit for the compressor station in Buckingham, Virginia.
Dominion now estimated the necessary approvals will be gained by the end of 2020.
Previously, the FERC approved the pipeline’s construction in 2017 with a completion target of October 2020. However, Dominion needs additional time to complete the construction with the process halted in December 2018 as the court stayed a biological opinion from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that allowed construction in areas inhabited by endangered species.
