A brand-new natural gas pipeline would start in Dallas Twp. and bisect the Wyoming Valley on its way to New Jersey, if a group of energy companies get their way.
PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC filed a prefiling application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday, officially beginning a years-long process
PennEast hopes will end in gas flowing through the pipeline by November 2017.
The company is a joint venture among AGL Resources, New Jersey Resources, Public Service Enterprise Group, South Jersey Industries and UGI Energy Services.
The project is a 36-inch, 108-mile line capable of shipping up to 1 billion cubic feet per day, according to the application. PennEast claims this is enough to heat 4.7 million homes.
The proposal doesn’t include any plans for gas delivery in Luzerne County, where most urban residents already receive service from UGI. It includes delivery points for Carbon and Northampton counties and others in New Jersey.
The proposed line would start off of Hildebrandt Road in Dallas Twp., where Williams’ insterstate Transco line already intersects with gathering lines operated by Williams, Regency Energy Partners LP and UGI. The Transco line has been there since the early 1950s, Williams spokesman Chris Stockton said.
From there, it would cross into Kingston Twp., run past Frances Slocum State Park, then over the ridge and into the Wyoming Valley, passing through West Wyoming and Wyoming.
It would cross the Susquehanna River and Monocanock Island, passing into Jenkins, then Plains townships. In Plains, it would run through a sparsely populated area between a cemetery, a quarry and an electrical substation before running directly behind the horse stables of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
It would then cross Interstate 81 and climb into the Poconos, cutting through Carbon and Northampton counties before crossing into New Jersey. The route also involves crossing the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. It would end near Pennington, in Mercer County, New Jersey.
As much as possible,
PennEast wants to locate the line near the existing Transco line, spokeswoman Patricia Kornick said.
“We are looking at options that would cause the least amount of environmental impact on the land and community in general,” she said.
Since announcing plans in August, the company has changed its plans from a 30-inch line to a 36-inch line and reduced the number of proposed compressor stations to one, she said. That station is proposed for Kidder Twp., Carbon County.
Nothing about the project is final. The pipeline must still clear several major hurdles. The company plans to submit its application for final FERC approval in July, the application states.
So far, PennEast has met with federal and state agencies, along with the governors’ offices in both states and a smattering of state lawmakers and local officials. The company has not yet met with Luzerne County officials or any local governments in Luzerne County except Jenkins Twp., Ms. Kornick said, though its outreach meetings are ongoing.
It plans to hold open houses from Nov. 10 to 13 where residents can meet PennEast representatives to view route maps and ask one-on-one questions, she said. PennEast has not announced the open house locations yet.
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