Manchin, Capito, McKinley, Miller Urge FERC to Approve Mountain Valley Pipeline's Extension Request

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and U.S. Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Carol Miller (R-WV) called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s pending request for a four-year extension.

“At a time when energy prices are soaring, it is imperative that FERC works to accelerate the development of domestic energy infrastructure so that Americans may have access to a reliable and affordable supply of natural gas,” wrote the officials in part. “We therefore urge FERC to support the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and approve its pending request for a four-year extension.”

“MVP is nearly 94% constructed but is still subject to ongoing litigation and permit challenges, to the detriment of American consumers, our national security, communities along the pipeline route, and the environment. This project must be completed…,” the officials continued. “West Virginians have told us that they want to see the project completed, their properties restored, and the benefits of the project accrue for their communities.”

In 2020, FERC issued a two-year extension on the MVP’s permits, which extends through October 13, 2022. The MVP is located in the Appalachian Basin, which would have been the third-largest natural gas producing nation in the world through the first half of 2021 according to the Energy Information Act. Once completed, the MVP will be designed to transport 2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day over a distance of 304 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia.

Dear Chairman Glick:

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is tasked with “assisting consumers in obtaining reliable, safe, secure, and economically efficient energy services at a reasonable cost.”1 At a time when energy prices are soaring, it is imperative that FERC works to accelerate the development of domestic energy infrastructure so that Americans may have access to a reliable and affordable supply of natural gas. We therefore urge FERC to support the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and approve its pending request for a four-year extension.

The United States is a world-leader in natural gas production, and as the conflict in Ukraine continues, the United States should use every tool at its disposal to make up for the shortfall in the global natural gas supply for our allies and trading partners. Natural gas produced in the Appalachian Basin is undoubtedly part of that solution.

In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Appalachian Basin would have been the third-largest natural gas producing nation in the world the first half of 2021, behind Russia and the rest of the United States.3 MVP is designed to transport 2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day of that natural gas 304 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia. While MVP would not deliver natural gas directly to an export terminal, completion of the pipeline will certainly help to meet increasing domestic demand for natural gas and unlock other supplies of natural gas to send to our allies.

MVP is nearly 94% constructed but is still subject to ongoing litigation and permit challenges, to the detriment of American consumers, our national security, communities along the pipeline route, and the environment. This project must be completed. FERC previously issued a two- year permit extension for MVP until October 13, 2022. While MVP has now requested a four- year extension, the developers have demonstrated their determination to complete the pipeline as soon as practicable to help bring needed natural gas to market soon, should FERC approve the extension request and other necessary approvals be re-issued. Indeed, MVP is targeting in- service in the second half of next year.

Your approval of this extension request will also provide certainty to communities and landowners along the pipeline’s path that FERC intends for the MVP to be completed. West Virginians have told us that they want to see the project completed, their properties restored, and the benefits of the project accrue for their communities.