The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently published its environmental assessment (EA) for Williams’ Gateway Expansion project, concluding that the project would not significantly affect the environment.

The Gateway Expansion project is a 65,000 dekatherms per day expansion of the Transco interstate natural gas pipeline to provide additional service to natural gas consumers in New Jersey and New York in time for the 2020/2021 winter heating season. Williams has executed agreements with PSEG Power and UGI Energy Services for firm transportation service under the Gateway Expansion Project.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and
operation of the project in accordance with the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In a response published July 17, 2018, the FERC staff concludes that, “approval of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.”

The Transco pipeline delivers about half of the natural gas consumed in New Jersey and New York City. Because the existing Transco pipeline capacity is fully utilized, the Gateway Expansion Project allows additional natural gas volumes to be transported to northeastern consumers.

The Gateway Expansion project has been designed to minimize impacts to landowners and the environment by increasing the utilization of existing pipeline infrastructure. Virtually all of the project activities are within Transco’s existing rights of way and/or property boundaries.

The project will require the installation of additional electric horsepower at an existing Transco compressor station in Essex County, N.J., (Station 303) in addition to modifications to an existing Transco meter station in Essex County and the replacement of an existing Transco meter station in Passaic County, N.J.

Williams submitted an application to the FERC for the Gateway Expansion project on Nov. 15, 2017.