March 2018, Vol. 245, No. 3

Projects

State OKs Water Permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

 

A pipeline that would carry fracked natural gas from West Virginia into the Southeast cleared another regulatory hurdle when North Carolina’s environmental agency issued a water quality certification.

The pipeline, which would cross West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, is being built by neighboring energy giants Dominion Energy in Virginia and Duke Energy in North Carolina.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s office separately announced pipeline partners Dominion Power and Duke Energy will spend $58 million on environmental initiatives such as expanding renewable energy. Funds can also be used for offshoots that allow North Carolina communities along the pipeline’s path to offer natural gas to their businesses, the governor’s office said.

“My goal for North Carolina is complete reliance on renewable energy, which builds a cleaner environment and a stronger economy,” Cooper said. “During the time it takes to get us to a full renewable energy future, we will still need to rely on other fuels as we move away from the pollution of coal-fired power plants.”