TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) today filed a Motion for Clarification of an administrative stay issued yesterday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions’ authorization of the company’s Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline project. The purpose of the administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider an emergency motion filed by project opponents last week requesting FERC extend a comprehensive four-year permitting process even further.
“Atlantic Sunrise has undergone a nearly four-year, extensive review process and is operating and being constructed in compliance with all state and federal permits,” said Micheal Dunn, Williams Partners’ chief operating officer. “These current actions by opponents of American energy are, this morning, idling thousands of workers in Pennsylvania and could delay the benefits of low-cost energy delivery to millions of American families.”
Dunn continued: “It is important to stress that this temporary stay is administrative and not related to the project’s execution or its compliance with applicable federal or state regulations or permit conditions. It is merely intended to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the motion recently filed by project opponents and is not a ruling on the merits of that motion. Our expectation is that the court will expeditiously complete its review.
“We have worked with countless elected officials, regulators, environmental consultants and landowners to bring this vital U.S. energy project to construction, and a vast majority of stakeholders understand how critical these types of projects are to economic growth, jobs and manufacturing expansion in addition to helping the U.S. transition away from the use of higher carbon fuels.”
Atlantic Sunrise pipeline construction broke ground in Pennsylvania on Sept. 15, 2017. While the company has ceased construction activities until the temporary stay is lifted, the company believes it is prudent and will continue to maintain environmental controls related to construction to remain in compliance with Federal and Pennsylvania permits, while protecting the environment.
During peak construction periods, the project is anticipated to directly employ approximately 2,300 people in 10 Pennsylvania counties. In addition, the project could support an additional 6,000 jobs in related industries and generate up to $1.6 billion in economic activity, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University.
The nearly $3 billion project, which is designed to increase natural gas deliveries by 1.7 billion cubic feet per day, is expected to be placed into full service in mid-2018.
Additional information about the Atlantic Sunrise project can be found at www.williams.com/atlanticsunrise.
About Williams & Williams Partners
Williams (NYSE: WMB) is a premier provider of large-scale infrastructure connecting U.S. natural gas and natural gas products to growing demand for cleaner fuel and feedstocks. Headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., Williams owns approximately 74 percent of Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ). Williams Partners is an industry-leading, large-cap master limited partnership with operations across the natural gas value chain including gathering, processing and interstate transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids. With major positions in top U.S. supply basins, Williams Partners owns and operates more than 33,000 miles of pipelines system wide – including the nation’s largest volume and fastest growing pipeline – providing natural gas for clean-power generation, heating and industrial use. Williams Partners’ operations touch approximately 30 percent of U.S. natural gas. www.williams.com
Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined by federal law. Although the company believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the company’s annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171107006231/en/
