FERCstaff plans to issue the final environmental review for the PennEast naturalgas pipeline project by the end of the year.

FERCstaff's planned schedule for completing the final environmental impactstatement forecast the document being available on Dec. 16. Other federalagencies cooperating with FERC would then have 90 days, until March 16, 2017,to finish their work on the review. FERC released the schedule in a March 29notice.

PennEastPipeline Co. LLC announced in September 2015 that it was applying for aFERC certificate to build the approximately 1 Bcf/d pipeline connecting theMarcellus Shale to consumers in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey at a costof approximately $1.13 billion. PennEast was formed to build thepipeline by AGL ResourcesInc., New Jersey Resources Corp.'s NJR Pipeline Co.,Public Service Enterprise GroupInc.'s PSEG PowerLLC, South JerseyIndustries Inc.'s SJI Midstream, Spectra Energy Partners LP and 's .(CP15-558)

Earlierin March, Delaware Riverkeeper Network sued FERC in federal district court for alleged bias infavor of permitting gas infrastructure, part of the group's fight against thePennEast project.