The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Southern Natural Gas Co. LLC can begin construction of a 344,000-Dth/d gas system expansion in Georgia.

FERC gave Southern Natural Gas the notice to proceed on the Fairburn expansion project Feb. 22. The commission confirmed that the developer has received all federal authorizations for project facilities in Fayette, Fulton, Cobb, Clayton and Monroe counties in Georgia. Southern Natural Gas is owned by Southern Co. and Kinder Morgan Inc.

The commission approved the $240 million expansion project one week earlier. The project will provide additional firm gas transportation capacity from a new interconnection with Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC to delivery points in Southern Natural Gas' Zone 2 and Zone 3 system. Southern Natural Gas will acquire from Georgia Power Co. a 19.7-mile, 30-inch-diameter lateral. It will build pipeline segments and a compressor station, among other facilities.

Project customers include Southern Company Services Inc., which is acting as an agent for affiliated electric companies and taking the bulk of the incremental capacity, at 325,000 Dth/d. Other customers are the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, United Parcel Service Inc., the city of Austell in Cobb County, the Southeast Alabama Gas District and Interconn Resources Inc.

Southern Natural applied for federal authorization in February 2017. (FERC docket CP17-46)