FERC Tuesday gave the environmental go-ahead for Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s proposed $73 million expansion that would create 165 MMcf/d of new firm transportation capacity to serve markets in the greater Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, metropolitan areas. The Potomac Expansion, which is designed to alleviate capacity constraints in the Mid-Atlantic region, is targeted for service in November 2007.

“Approval of the proposed Potomac Expansion Project, with appropriate mitigating measures as recommended, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” concluded the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in its environmental assessment of the project [CP06-421].

The expansion calls for the construction of 16.4 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline that would loop the pipeline’s existing mainline system in Pittsylvania and Campbell counties in Virginia. In addition, the Williams’ pipeline subsidiary plans to replace 3.4 miles of 30-inch diameter pipe with 42-inch diameter pipeline in Fairfax County, VA. Construction is expected to begin in May.

The expansion would allow for the delivery of additional gas supplies from Transco’s interconnects with East Tennessee Natural Gas and Pine Needle LNG to interconnects with customers’ local distribution systems in northern Virginia, Washington and Baltimore.

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