FERC determines Spire STL Pipeline is needed on a permanent basis
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reissued a permanent Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Spire STL Pipeline, ensuring continued operation of the natural gas pipeline which delivers a critical source of energy for more than 650,000 homes and businesses in eastern Missouri.
"We are pleased the FERC reached this decision after conducting a thorough review over the last 18 months following the DC Circuit court remand. This is in addition to the Commission's original review and approval of the Pipeline's certificate in 2018 plus three years of strong operational performance," said Scott Smith, president of the Spire STL Pipeline. "There was substantial evidence in the record to confirm that the Pipeline has delivered strong performance, reduced costs and improved natural gas reliability across the St. Louis region – even during severe weather challenges like Winter Storm Uri in 2021."
The permanent Certificate was approved by the FERC at today's agency meeting. This marks the fourth time the FERC has issued an operational certificate for the Spire STL Pipeline, in each instance determining the Pipeline is necessary.
"Customers in the St. Louis area currently have the lowest gas costs across Missouri, with the Spire STL Pipeline playing a huge role in keeping costs more affordable," said Scott Carter, Spire Missouri president. "This certificate provides long-term assurance that Missourians will continue having access to the reliable, affordable energy they need."
The Pipeline had been operating under a temporary certificate issued by the FERC on Dec. 3, 2021. That certificate allowed the agency to review the project on remand as ordered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit).
In November 2021, Spire STL Pipeline presented expert reports demonstrating the importance of the Pipeline for reliability and cost-saving purposes. These reports also illustrated that the continued operation of this Pipeline would not result in significant adverse environmental or environmental justice impacts. In October, FERC staff issued its final Environmental Impact Statement, agreeing that environmental or environmental justice impacts from the continued operation of the Pipeline would be "less than significant."
Additionally, in May, the Missouri Public Service Commission staff report concluded that Spire Missouri's decision to enter a contract with Spire STL Pipeline was prudent.
The new permanent certificate – issued under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act – is effective after Spire STL Pipeline accepts the Certificate order which will be filed with FERC in the coming days.
"We had always believed, once FERC was able to conduct a comprehensive review of the record evidence, that FERC would find a critical need to keep this important infrastructure in service," said Smith, "We cooperated with the FERC and other stakeholders to ensure they had the information needed to inform their analysis. We are grateful they have concluded that a critical need for the Spire STL Pipeline exists, and importantly, we remain committed to fulfilling all our land restoration obligations. We will continue to work in good faith by being proactive and transparent in resolving outstanding restoration concerns."
For more information about the Spire STL Pipeline, visit spireenergy.com/spire-stl-pipeline.
About Spire
At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR), we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and businesses making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses include Spire Marketing, Spire STL Pipeline and Spire Storage. We are committed to transforming our business through growing organically, investing in infrastructure, and advancing through innovation. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.
Media Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-365-7125
Jason.Merrill@SpireEnergy.com
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SOURCE Spire Inc.