Three days after receiving final federal approval and nearly a decade after it was first proposed, the 303-mile, $7.85 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline is funneling natural gas from West Virginia into Virginia, where it will boost fuel reserves to power mid-Atlantic electric utilities.
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) began operating on June 14, ending years of legal contention, regulatory debate, and environmental protests.
“This is an important and long-awaited day for our nation and the millions of Americans who now have greater access to an abundant supply of domestic natural gas for use as an affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy resource,” said Diana Charletta, president and chief executive officer of Equitrans Midstream Corp., which spearheaded the joint project with builder RG Resources and regional power providers NextEra Energy, Consolidated Edison, and AltaGas.
“Natural gas is an essential fuel for modern life, and, as a critical infrastructure project, the Mountain Valley Pipeline will play an integral role in achieving a lower-carbon future while helping to ensure America’s energy and economic security for decades to come,” Ms. Charletta said.
Equitrans proposed MVP in 2015. Regional utilities said the 42-inch diameter pipeline’s capacity to deliver 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, approximately one-third of West Virginia’s marketable production, would ensure energy stability and lower electricity costs in mid-Atlantic states.