$7.85 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline completed and given green light to go into service

Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday, June 10, announcing the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline project.

The same letter requested the project’s quick approval to go into service, something that was granted the next day, as was announced by the company on Wednesday.

Furthermore, the project was initially set for completion in 2018, with a $3.5 billion price tag.

However, it was delayed on numerous occasions due to regulatory and court fights, as well as a lack of contractors and challenging terrain.

The main objections to the pipeline’s construction were environmental ones, claiming that it would disrupt forests, waterways and endangered species.

Additionally, it received criticism on its functionality, due to recent global efforts for energy transition to renewables.

However, after successfully testing, and repairing a section that failed during the process, the pipeline is now complete, roughly six years after it broke ground and at almost double the initial budget, costing $7.58 billion.

Once operational, Mountain Valley Pipeline will be able to transport as many as 2.0 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, from West to southern Virginia.