Revisions to pipeline extension project raise concerns

Developers of a natural gas pipeline from Virginia into Rockingham County have submitted significant revisions to federal regulators. Critics of the plan, including members of Congress, say the changes raise new concerns.

The owners of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate extension updated their proposal last month in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC.

Under the revisions, the pipeline would cross Virginia into Rockingham County but would not extend into Alamance, as originally planned. It would also be able to carry more than 80 percent more natural gas.

The redesign doesn’t include a map for the new route or information on who will end up using the fuel it carries, says Ridge Graham of the grassroots environmental group Appalachian Voices.

“Now that they are introducing these changes, it ... just goes to show what we’ve been saying all along. They haven’t shown any commitment to this project, not a single entry pipe has gone into the ground," he says. "It wasn’t needed almost six years ago, and it’s still not needed today.”

Shawn Day, a spokesman for the project, said in an emailed statement that the pipeline will provide an additional source of clean and affordable natural gas to meet public demand and environmental and economic goals.

North Carolina Sixth District Representative Kathy Manning is among those calling on FERC to restart the certification process for the pipeline.

It was supposed to be completed last summer, but FERC granted an extension until mid-2026. Company officials have set the target completion date for 2028.