Dominion Carolina Gas Transmission LLC pushed FERC to issue a certificate order for its Transco to Charleston natural gas transportation project before the commission loses its power to approve projects after Feb. 3.

The Dominion Midstream Partners LP subsidiary said in a Jan. 27 letter to FERC that it faces a potentially lengthy wait if the pending project is not approved before Commissioner Norman Bay's departure on Feb. 3.

"If the commission does not issue the requested order in this coming week before the effective date of Commissioner Bay's retirement, the commission will be unable to act until he is replaced by a new commissioner," the company said, and will "endanger the timely completion of this important project."

Dominion Carolina's request joined similar requests from five other companies requesting a quick decision on pending infrastructure projects.

FERC staff gave a positive environmental assessment on Oct. 19 to Dominion Carolina's project, which would provide 80,000 Dth/d of firm gas transportation service for power generation, commercial and industrial customers in South Carolina. The environmental review was delayed after Dominion Carolina submitted supplemental materials that included route and workspace modifications.

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. has contracted approximately 94% of the project's capacity. The remaining capacity has been contracted by industrial customers Flakeboard Company Limited and Wyman-Gordon Co. In order to deliver gas to its customers, the project would include approximately 60 miles of 4- and 12-inch-diameter pipeline and accessory facilities.

"The project is fully ripe for commission approval," Dominion Carolina wrote in the letter. If it is approved, the company said, construction activities would need to begin in March in order to meet the target in-service date of Nov. 1. In its application for the $119.3 million project, the company requested that FERC authorize the project by December 2016. (FERC docket CP16-98)