Gov. Pat McCrory announced the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on Tuesday.

 

“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is one of the largest projects of its type in the nation and represents a significant investment in our state,” said the governor in a statement. “This project will drive economic growth and create much-needed jobs for eastern North Carolina. In addition, this new interstate natural gas pipeline will provide our entire state with new access to abundant, clean, reliable and competitively priced supplies of natural gas.”   

 

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be a $4.5 billion joint venture between Dominion, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and AGL Resources.

 

The project is expected to create more than 700 jobs each year in North Carolina during construction, and more than 50 permanent jobs, the governor's office said.

 

The pipeline is designed to transport 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, originating in Harrison County, West Virginia, traveling through Virginia, and ending in Robeson County, North Carolina. The natural gas will come from the Utica and Marcellus shale basins in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

 

Natural gas is considered an environmentally friendly fuel. 

 

The pipeline will enter the state in Northampton County and travel southwest through parts of Halifax, Nash, Wilson, Johnston, Sampson and Cumberland counties before ending at Piedmont Natural Gas transmission facilities in Robeson County.