U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member, recently sent a letter to Dan Brouillette, U.S. Secretary of Energy, seeking an update on the proposed Appalachian Storage Hub report.
The Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations bill authorized the report. It instructed the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a study on the economic security benefits and national security of an underground storage facility for natural gas liquids in Appalachia.
“We have spoken before about the proposed underground storage facility for NGLs, including ethane, also known as the ‘Appalachian Storage Hub,’ and how it has the potential to be a game-changer for not just the Appalachian region, but the nation,” the letter said. “The DOE had previously studied the feasibility of establishing an ethane storage and distribution hub in the United States and found that it would have economic and strategic benefits, particularly given the current concentration of infrastructure in the Gulf Coast. This is in addition the potential to create 100,000 much needed jobs in Appalachia, according to the American Chemistry Council.”
Manchin said he believes the critical project must move forward. The facility’s benefits can be maximized through partnerships with domestic businesses and international partners, Manchin said.