Dominion Energy Transmission Inc. received a positive environmental assessment from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a natural gas system expansion that would increase the delivery of natural gas to a power plant in eastern Ohio.

FERC staff concluded that construction and operation of the West Loop project would not cause significant environmental damage. The staff recommended that FERC attach mitigation measures to any order approving the project.

The project would provide 150,000 Dth/d of natural gas to Advance Power Inc.'s approximately 1,100-MW combined-cycle South Field Energy power plant, which is under construction in Columbiana County, Ohio. Dominion Energy Transmission said the power plant would replace coal-fired power generation and help meet Midwest power demand.

Dominion Energy Transmission, the gas transmission subsidiary of Dominion Energy Inc., filed an abbreviated application for Natural Gas Act authorization for the project in December 2018. Dominion Energy Transmission estimated the West Loop project would cost about $94.2 million. The company, which owns and operates about 7,700 miles of pipeline in six states, would like to start construction in December to meet the project customer's requested in-service date of no earlier than July 1, 2021.

The West Loop project would consist of facilities in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The facilities would include 5.1 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop and modifications to the Beaver compressor station in Beaver County, Pa., and upgrades to the Carroll compressor station in Carroll County, Ohio. (FERC docket CP19-26)