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To the Editor,
Washington's recent bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act included important new energy policies, chief among them a push to finally get the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) up and running. But this essential project faces a new round of pushback despite a mandate from Congress, as outlined in "Capito: Congress 'loud and clear' on Mountain Valley Pipeline" (July 14).
Some facts to keep in mind: MVP is 94% complete but has been stalled by legal obstacles from pipeline opponents and political opportunists. The 303-mile pipeline would bring natural gas from West Virginia to southern Virginia, helping ensure local communities have abundant American energy.
But there is a broader issue of American paralysis at play. A recent study found that at least 10 major energy infrastructure projects, including MVP and representing more than $34 billion in private spending, have been canceled or risked cancellation due to slow and duplicative permitting processes.
In Appalachia alone, these pipeline projects could deliver 4.6 billion additional cubic feet per day of natural gas for families and businesses, support thousands of American jobs, and inject $19 billion in private spending into local economies. Instead, their benefits remain unrealized.
West Virginia Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, as well as Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, recognize this lost economic potential and have stepped up to help protect The Mountain State's energy future. With the debate over MVP recently decided by the United States Supreme Court, we need leaders in Washington to follow their example. Anything less puts our energy future at risk.
Stephanie Catarino Wissman
Executive Director,
American Petroleum Institute,
Appalachia Region