Williams Partners Announces Open Season for Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement Project
Project Addresses Growing Demand for Gas in Northeast; Helps
Region Meet Clean Air Goals
Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) announced today that it is initiating
a binding open season from May 16 to June 9, 2016 for the Northeast
Supply Enhancement project, an expansion of the Transco interstate
pipeline to provide incremental firm natural gas transportation capacity
to demand markets in the northeastern United States. Transco plans to
place the project into service for the 2019/2020 winter heating season.
The Northeast Supply Enhancement project is being designed to provide
400,000 dekatherms per day of firm natural gas transportation capacity
from Transco’s Compressor Station 195 in York County, Pa., to the
Rockaway Transfer Point, an existing interconnection between the Lower
New York Bay Lateral and the Rockaway Delivery Lateral in offshore New
York.
Prior to commencement of the open season, Williams executed precedent
agreements with subsidiaries of National Grid – the largest distributor
of natural gas in the northeastern U.S. – for firm transportation
service under the project. Once complete, the project will help meet the
growing natural gas demand in the Northeast, including the 1.8 million
customers served by National Grid in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and
Long Island.
“Customers and businesses in the local communities that we serve in New
York City and on Long Island benefit from affordable, clean and reliable
energy,” said Ken Daly, President, National Grid New York. “Williams’
Northeast Supply Enhancement project expands on our commitment to
further improve reliability, make available much-needed gas capacity to
support job growth, and help reduce our carbon footprint. This project
complements the existing Brooklyn Queens Interconnect/Rockaway Lateral
Project, which was completed last spring, and was the first new gas
supply delivery point in decades for National Grid customers in this
region.”
New York’s appetite for natural gas is increasing as consumers continue
to phase out the use of heavy fuel oils. In April 2015, New York City
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced sweeping goals to curb city emissions 80
percent by 2050, which includes phasing out the use of No. 4 fuel oil by
2030. The Northeast Supply Enhancement project creates the energy
infrastructure to provide access to important natural supply to help New
York meet its clean air goals.
“As demand for natural gas increases, the importance of the associated
energy infrastructure becomes even more critical,” said Rory Miller,
senior vice president of Williams Partners’ Atlantic-Gulf operating
area. “The Northeast Supply Enhancement project will add critical
infrastructure necessary to meet the region’s growing demand for natural
gas while helping reduce air emissions.”
Subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the
Northeast Supply Enhancement project will consist of adding looping and
compression to existing Transco pipeline facilities. In order to
minimize potential environmental impacts, the proposed project corridor
will maximize the use of Transco’s existing pipeline right-of-way.
Williams does not anticipate that the project scope will change based on
the outcome of the open season.
For customer inquiries, contact Jamie Johnson at (713) 215-2404.
About Williams Partners
Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) is an industry-leading, large-cap natural
gas infrastructure master limited partnership with a strong growth
outlook and major positions in key U.S. supply basins and also in
Canada. Williams Partners has operations across the natural gas value
chain from gathering, processing and interstate transportation of
natural gas and natural gas liquids to petchem production of ethylene,
propylene and other olefins. Williams Partners owns and operates more
than 33,000 miles of pipelines system wide – including the nation’s
largest volume and fastest growing pipeline – providing natural gas for
clean-power generation, heating and industrial use. Williams Partners’
operations touch approximately 30 percent of U.S. natural gas. Tulsa,
Okla.-based Williams (NYSE: WMB), a premier provider of large-scale
North American natural gas infrastructure, owns 60 percent of Williams
Partners, including all of the 2 percent general-partner interest. www.williams.com
Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements”
as defined by federal law. Although the partnership believes any such
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance
that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such
statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections
provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional
information about issues that could lead to material changes in
performance is contained in the partnership’s annual reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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