The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized Millennium Pipeline Co. LLC to place parts of its 223,000-Dth/d Eastern System Upgrade project on its New York natural gas transportation system in service.

FERC staff in a Dec 19 letter allowed the pipeline company to place in service its Hancock compressor station in Delaware County, N.Y., and its Ramapo metering and regulating station in Rockland County, N.Y., based on the commission's inspection of the company's construction and restoration activities. The commission required Millennium, owned by TransCanada Corp. unit Columbia Gas Transmission LLC and by National Grid USA and DTE Energy Co., to complete all remaining restoration activities by early spring 2019.

On Dec. 6, FERC authorized Millennium to place into service another component of the estimated $275 million upgrade project, the Highland natural gas compressor station in Sullivan County, N.Y.

The project is designed to provide additional firm gas transportation service on the Millennium system for local distribution companies and towns. The project also includes 7.8 miles of 30-inch and 36-inch pipeline loop between Millennium's Corning compressor station and an interconnection with Enbridge Inc.'s Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC pipeline in Ramapo, N.Y.

Millennium started construction activities on parts of the Eastern System Upgrade in December 2017, after FERC gave it a certificate order in November 2017. (FERC docket CP16-486)