Feds Preparing Final Environmental Statement on Algonquin Pipeline Expansion

With the Final Environmental Impact Statement scheduled to be issued Jan. 23, Spectra Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have been going back and forth with new questions and answers about the first of two natural-gas pipeline expansion projects Spectra is planning through Yorktown.

Today, FERC gave Spectra five days to answer several of the issues raised by Accufacts, the consultant hired by Cortlandt officials to examine the project and its impacts on the town:

1. On page 2 of 11, in its November 3rd Report, Accufacts makes three accusations:

(i) the new 42-inch diameter pipeline in Cortland is “…considerably oversized/overbuilt for the stated capacity increase of 342 Dth/d” for the project;[1]

(ii) “(a)ctual gas velocities…for the pre-AIM existing gas transmission pipeline spanning Cortland are within acceptable ranges, but after the AIM installation are so low that considerable future possible throughput increases can be easily accommodated for these segments”; and

(iii) “Further Algonquin Pipeline pipe expansions in New York State are likely given the 42-inch pipe installations proposed by AIM, and the extremely high gas velocities in other existing segments of the New York system further downstream of Cortland.”

Using the engineering information submitted to comply with Staff’s December 2, 2014 data request, as well as this request, respond, in detail, to each of the aforementioned accusations made by Accufacts. As part of its response, Algonquin should address the segmentation issue raised by Accufacts.

[1] Although Accufacts states Algonquin is proposing to increase its capacity by 342 Dth/d, the actual capacity increase proposed by Algonquin is 342 MDth/d.

Spectra has already informed FERC of its expectation that approval for the Algonquin Incremental Market project will follow quickly after the publication of the FEIS. William Yardley, president of U.S. Transmission and Storage for Spectra, wrote to FERC Chairman Cheryl LaFleur on Dec 16:

To ensure the highest level of operational flexibility and reliability in the Northeast markets during the AIM project construction, Algonquin requires certificate authorization on January 31, 2015 or shortly thereafter, as requested in its February 28, 2014 certificate application, in order to be able to commence construction in early 2015.