Walking the Line: Following the Route of the Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

What: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) is a proposed $5.5 billion, 600-mile pipeline that will transport fracked natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to markets in Virginia and North Carolina. Natural gas is not a source of clean energy; methane is 86-100x more powerful than CO₂ over a 20 year period at trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

Who: Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC is the holding company that will construct the pipeline and control the sale of gas flowing through it. It is comprised of Dominion Energy (48%), Duke Energy (47%) & Southern Company (5%).

When: The ACP was proposed in 2014 and on July 21, 2017 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its final Environmental Impact Statement. FERC cannot approve the pipeline until President Trump’s nominees are voted in by the Senate, and this vote is unscheduled but could happen any moment. For now, it heads to the VA and NC Departments of Environmental Quality, which are slated to reach a decision about water quality permits as early as this fall. Atlantic hopes for construction soon thereafter, and for gas to be flowing by 2019.

Why: Dominion claims that the gas is needed for new power plants, large-scale manufacturing operations, and “underserved” areas of eastern NC. However, investigations have found that a sufficient supply of gas could be maintained into the future with minor adjustments to existing infrastructure. Additionally, Dominion has promised that natural gas won’t be exported; however, there is no mechanism to ensure this. So far, 11 new export facilities (liquefied natural gas terminals) have either been approved or are being built.

What this means for ratepayers: Atlantic claims the pipeline will decrease energy costs, but several studies found that their methodology underestimated natural gas prices and overestimated the economic benefits. If the ACP is approved, FERC guarantees Atlantic a 14-15% return on their investment. This return will be paid by electricity consumers, ratepayers, through rate hikes. Ratepayers in VA alone are expected to provide around $200 million annually in funding.

What this means for residents on or near the proposed route: If FERC approves the pipeline, Atlantic can seize citizens’ private property through eminent domain. Dominion’s contractors have entered private property, offered residents meager easement payments, and coerced landowners to sign or be sued. In the pipeline’s blast zone, or 1,100 foot radius, survival of an explosion would be unlikely. Evacuation zones, or 3,583 feet in radius, are areas where unprotected humans risk burn injury from explosions or fire following a leak. There are many homes, businesses, and schools within the blast zone of the proposed ACP route. Given the risks and changes to the local environment, property values along the route are also expected to drop as much as 30%.