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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Signs mark the route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Deerfield, Va., in 2018. Dominion Energy Virginia recently told state regulators “significant build-out” of natural gas-fired generating facilities is no longer viable because of renewable energy legislation lawmakers passed earlier this year.
RICHMOND, Va. >> The developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline announced today that they are canceling the multi-state natural gas project, citing delays and “increasing cost uncertainty.”
Despite a victory last month at the United States Supreme Court over a critical permit, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy said in a statement that “recent developments have created an unacceptable layer of uncertainty and anticipated delays” for the $8 billion project designed to cross West Virginia and Virginia into North Carolina.
“This announcement reflects the increasing legal uncertainty that overhangs large-scale energy and industrial infrastructure development in the United States. Until these issues are resolved, the ability to satisfy the country’s energy needs will be significantly challenged,” Dominion CEO Tom Farrell and Duke CEO Lynn Good said in a joint statement.
The project has drawn fierce opposition from a coalition of landowners, activists and environmental advocates, who said it would damage pristine landscapes and questioned whether there was sufficient need for the gas it would carry.
It has also faced numerous setbacks since plans were first announced in 2014. Legal challenges brought by environmental groups have prompted the dismissal or suspension of numerous permits and led to an extended delay in construction.
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