Category Archives: North Carolina

Forest Service rejects path for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, , , , , , , , , ,

If I’m not mistaken, this is the same pipeline Spectra Energy pulled out of bidding on back in August 2014, after numerous local resolutions against. Now it’s hit another big snag. And this also affects Southern Company and solar power: in a good way.

Aaron Isherwood and Nicholas Jimenez, Sierra Club, 6 January 2016, Forest Service Rejects Destructive Path for “Atlantic Coast Pipeline”,

A few days ago, the Forest Service rejected a destructive pathway Dominion Energy had proposed for the $5 billion “Atlantic Coast Pipeline” the company wants to build to carry natural gas from fracking in the Marcellus shale field in northern West Virginia to power plants along the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. This is great news for our National Forests, our ground water, and the climate.

Because the pipeline would have cleared a swath through two national forests (the George Washington and Monongahela), Dominion needed sign-off from the Forest Service. After reviewing the route, the Forest Service determined the environmental destruction the pipeline would cause was unacceptable and rejected the proposal in a January 19 letter

Southern Company (NYSE:SO, and parent of Georgia Power) is in the process of buying Continue reading Forest Service rejects path for Atlantic Coast Pipeline →

Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail

Alabama, Economy, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are Spectra and FPL running short on money so they have to take on a new investor? Has the opposition cost them $225 million already?

The AP story includes two misconceptions. After protests continuing into this year, a criminal trespass lawsuit against Sabal Trail, and multiple parties filing amicus briefs, this is all AP remembers:

The pipeline drew protests from southwest Georgia residents last year, who said they do not want a pollution-emitting compression station near their homes.

And despite Sabal Trail’s continued failure to demonstrate need, AP repeats this old canard:

Currently there are only two major pipelines that deliver natural gas to Florida. Both are nearing capacity.

Not if the Sunshine State gets on with solar power, like even the most corrupt state (Georgia) is doing.

Interestingly, there’s no press release from any of Sabal Trail, Spectra, NextEra, or FPL about this, but there’s this obviously slanted Duke Energy PR, 5 May 2015, Duke Energy buys 7.5% of previously announced Sabal Trail pipeline that will meet growing need for natural gas in Southeast U.S., Continue reading Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail →

Spectra suspends mid-Atlantic pipeline to the sea

Highland County, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, , , , , , , , , ,

Pipeline objections from landowners, taxpayers, local and state government agencies, environmental groups, and historical societies caused mighty Spectra to “suspend” its unnamed $4 billion methane pipeline from Pennsylvania fracking grounds through Virginia to Duke Energy plants near the sea in North Carolina. Similar opposition can make Spectra and Williams and FPL and Duke think again about their proposed $3 billion Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC hundred-foot gouge through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida to three already-authorized LNG export operations in Florida.

This was apparently the first report, by John Bruce, for The Recorder of Monterey, Highland County, Virginia, 7 August 2014, Spectra suspends pipeline proposal, Continue reading Spectra suspends mid-Atlantic pipeline to the sea →