Project Overview
About the Project
The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project is a natural gas pipeline system that spans approximately 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia – and as an interstate pipeline is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
The MVP is owned by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (Mountain Valley), a joint venture formed among affiliates of each of EQT; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Consolidated Edison, Inc.; AltaGas Ltd.; and RGC Resources, Inc. EQT operates the pipeline and owns a significant interest in the joint venture.
Capacity
With a vast supply of natural gas from Marcellus and Utica shale production, the MVP has capacity to provide up to two million dekatherms per day (two billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day) of firm transmission capacity to markets in the mid- and south Atlantic regions of the United States.
The MVP extends from Equitrans, L.P., the EQT transmission system, in Wetzel County, West Virginia, to Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company’s (Transco) Zone 5 Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Under 20-year contracts, Mountain Valley has secured firm commitments for the full capacity of the MVP.
The pipeline is 42 inches in diameter and is buried underground in a 50-foot-wide permanent easement. The MVP has three compressor stations, located in Wetzel, Braxton, and Fayette counties of West Virginia.
Project Route & Map
During the Pre-Filing Review, which began in late October 2014, the MVP team began conducting environmental surveys, hosted 16+ community open houses, and participated in FERC scoping meetings – all in an effort to encourage open discussion with community members, landowners, and public agencies. These public meetings generated valuable feedback that helped shape the current route, which was carefully designed to utilize existing gas and electric transmission corridors when possible; to avoid sensitive or protected areas when feasible; and to limit surface disturbance and minimize the overall environmental footprint.
As part of MVP’s commitment to communities, the project team considered thousands of miles of alternatives and variations to the route in an effort to alleviate concerns posed by interested and informed stakeholders. Counties along the MVP route include:
West Virginia
Virginia
Why It’s Needed
In our Nation’s quest to maintain reliable and affordable energy access and address climate change, the MVP plays an important role in providing greater access to affordable, reliable and lower-carbon energy.
Increased use of natural gas has played an important role in reducing carbon emissions while keeping energy prices affordable.
The need for MVP to serve the public interest has been widely recognized, including by federal agencies and Congress.
Ownership & Management
The MVP is owned by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (Mountain Valley), a joint venture formed among affiliates of EQT; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Consolidated Edison, Inc.; AltaGas Ltd.; and RGC Resources, Inc. EQT owns a significant interest in the joint venture and operates the pipeline.