FERC approves Williams’ request to place Atlantic Sunrise project into full service

Williams recently announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the company’s request to place its Atlantic Sunrise project into full service.

“This project makes the largest-volume pipeline system in the country even larger, further executing on our strategy to connect premier natural gas supply areas with the best markets in the country,” Alan Armstrong, Williams president and CEO, said. “The project is significant for Pennsylvania and natural gas-consuming markets all along the East Coast, alleviating infrastructure bottlenecks and providing millions of consumers direct access to one of the most abundant, cost-effective natural gas supply sources in the country.”

The project increases the design capacity of the Transco pipeline by 1.7 billion cubic feet per day to 15.8 billion cubic feet per day. It includes a total of approximately 183 miles of new greenfield pipe, two pipeline loops totaling about 12 miles, 2.5 miles of existing pipeline replacement, two new compressor facilities in Pennsylvania and other facility additions or modifications in five states.

The project is backed by long-term shipper commitment and connects producing regions in northeastern Pennsylvania to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern states.

Construction on the mainline portion of the project began in spring 2016, and construction for the greenfield portion of the project in Pennsylvania started in late September 2017. Williams filed on August 24 with FERC to activate the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline.

“I’m proud of our project team for their focus and carefully executing this complex project in a safe and environmentally responsible manner,” Williams Chief Operating Officer Micheal Dunn said. “Their efforts have truly distinguished this project, positively collaborating with regulators, key stakeholders and communities to overcome challenges and install this critical infrastructure thoughtfully without experiencing any significant injuries or environmental issues. Even in the final months of construction, as some segments of the project area sustained more than 20 inches of rainfall, our teams acted quickly to restore the right-of-way and ensure environmental compliance requirements were met.”