Manchin-backed Mountain Valley Pipeline gets green light for construction.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Approves Final Permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given the green light for the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a massive interstate natural gas pipeline. This exciting development paves the way for the project to be finished as early as this year.

“The construction of this pipeline has been caught up in America’s broken permitting process for far too long, and I look forward to the day this important piece of energy infrastructure is up-and-running,” tweeted Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who played a leading role in advocating for the pipeline.

Expediting Construction

Construction on the 303-mile natural gas pipeline, stretching from West Virginia to southern Virginia, had faced significant delays due to court proceedings over the past five years. However, it was expedited as part of the debt ceiling deal negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden.

The legislation, signed by President Biden earlier this month, directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to authorize the pipeline’s completion and prevented any potential litigation that could have hindered its progress.

Debate and Environmental Concerns

The Mountain Valley Pipeline has been a topic of intense debate, particularly among environmental groups who argue that it will harm the environment and exacerbate climate change.

However, Sen. Manchin and other members of the West Virginia congressional delegation have championed the pipeline’s completion, emphasizing its importance for national energy security. Equitrans, the lead developer of the project, has stated that with the final permit approval, the pipeline could be finished by the end of this year.

“Given the legislation, and assuming the timely issuance of the few remaining authorizations, we anticipate MVP crews will work to complete construction of the project by year-end 2023, at an estimated total project cost of approximately $6.6 billion,” said an Equitrans spokesperson earlier this month.

Enhancing Energy Security

Once operational, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is projected to have a capacity of 2 billion cubic feet per day. Sen. Manchin emphasized the pipeline’s significance in ensuring the nation’s energy and national security, as well as providing affordable and reliable natural gas to hundreds of thousands of Americans.

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