Dominion-SCANA merge could expand pipeline
— Dominion Energy’s planned merger with a South Carolina energy company could open the door for an expansion of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, both supporters and opponents of the natural gas project say.
In a conference call about the proposed merger, Dominion CEO Tom Farrell said SCANA Corp. is a “natural fit” for Dominion, which already operates a network of smaller natural gas transmission pipelines in South Carolina.
“This combination can open new expansion opportunities, including the Atlantic Coast Pipeline that is now under development, bringing lower-cost natural gas to the region,” Farrell said on the call this week.
The Associated Press previously reported that Richmond-based Dominion is considering expanding the project into South Carolina, where business leaders have welcomed the prospect of an increased natural gas supply. Environmental groups, however, said the potential for an expansion into South Carolina raises questions about the pipeline’s true need as initially proposed.
Dan Weekley, Dominion’s vice president and general manager of Southern pipeline operations, told attendees at an energy conference in September that “everybody knows” the $5 billion pipeline — currently slated to run for 600 miles through West Virginia and Virginia before terminating near Lumberton, North Carolina — is not going to stop there. AP obtained an audio recording from a conference attendee.
Citing AP’s reporting in part, two coalitions of public interest groups have asked federal regulators to reconsider their approval of the pipeline, which was granted in October.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, which is weighing a key water-quality permit, has asked for more information about where the pipeline will end.