More than 60 years ago, lifelong Guilford County resident Ron Ray watched workers bury gas pipelines across his family’s land in the then-unincorporated community of Oak Ridge. Then he basically forgot about it until last year.
Since then, Ray, 72, and a growing number of other Piedmont North Carolina property owners have learned about plans by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Cos. to expand its Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. (Transco). The artery of nearly 10,000 miles of pipelines loops across the southeastern U.S. from south Texas to New York City.
The largest user of the additional natural gas would be Duke Energy Carolinas, according to Transco’s project application to the Federal Energy Resources Commission (FERC) nearly two months ago. The Charlotte-based utility would use the gas for electricity generation, as part of its updated 2023 carbon plan to retire the use of coal by 2035.
Transco’s new pipeline would cross five southeastern states. Measuring 42 inches in diameter, it would transport pressurized gas in Transco’s existing corridor in Rockingham, Guilford, Forsyth and Davidson counties, according to the application. Transco would install and modify equipment in Davidson, Iredell, Cleveland, Lincoln and Gaston counties.
For decades, three pipelines have passed through Oak Ridge, one of the communities where environmental advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are mobilizing opposition and encouraging local governments to oppose the expansion by Williams.
“The pipeline installation would disrupt the daily lives of many people, and the pipelines would forever create a much more dangerous and unsafe community,” Ray told the Oak Ridge Town Council earlier this month. He was one of six residents who expressed safety and environmental concerns about Williams’ Southeast Supply Enhancement project.
Austin Goldman, a member of Oak Ridge First Baptist Church, said the possible “blast zone” for the existing pipelines encompasses his church and the nearby St. James AME and Oak Ridge Methodist churches. In the event of an explosion, “high-consequence risk areas” reach farther and contain Oak Ridge Military Academy and Oak Ridge Elementary School, according to a presentation by the Property Rights and Pipeline Center, a group seeking to end the use of eminent domain for oil and gas pipelines.
Citing risks from “three aging pipelines,” property owner Brenda Chaney said her property lies in the path of the proposed new line. She urged the council to adopt a resolution opposing the project.
At the end of the meeting, Councilman Mike Stone replied to homeowners’ opposition to the pipeline expansion. “I know they don’t want to hear this, but the reality is that we don’t have any authority in a federal infrastructure project,” he said.
Mayor Jim Kinneman said he and Town Manager Bill Bruce received an informational briefing from Williams earlier this year. “At the time, it didn’t raise concerns with me as I was left with the impression there wasn’t much to do if you did want to object,” Kinneman said in a recent email. “At this time, I am in listening mode from both sides.”
In late October, Transco filed its project application with FERC, which regulates the interstate transmission and sale of electricity, natural gas and oil in the U.S.
Posting revenues of $10.9 billion last year, Williams said it handles about a third of the natural gas consumed by industry, businesses and households in the U.S. Adding the southeastern line “will enable additional gas supplies to be transported to power generating facilities,” the application said.
Since 2013, natural gas demand has grown by 43%, while infrastructure has increased by 25%, highlighting the need for more supply, Williams said in a recent email.
If approved by FERC, Williams said it anticipates completing the expansion by the fourth quarter of 2027. As an illustration, the additional supply would meet the needs of nearly 9.8 million homes.
Opponents are seeking to draw out the fight and, ideally, convince FERC to reject Transco’s application for a permit to proceed with the project.
In coming months, the commission will commence its environmental assessment of the project. It will gather feedback from parties by visiting areas where the expansion is proposed and by talking to and taking feedback from stakeholders, including property owners.
Early next year, the Sierra Club plans to seek resolutions of opposition from towns such as Oak Ridge, legislators and other parties interested in the pipeline’s expansion.
The process “will be years long,” said Caroline Hansley, a campaign organizing strategist for the Sierra Club who recently met with Oak Ridge property owners. “A lot has to happen before any pipe can be put in the ground. It’s going to be many years down the road, if this ever gets built.”
Environmentalists favor a more intensive environmental review by FERC because it would require the evaluation of energy sources other than natural gas, such as solar, according to Hansley.
“We believe that more methane gas pipelines, such as this project, are not needed and should be stopped,” she said.
