Millennium project expands; Another compressor announced for Hancock

Posted 8/21/12

REGION — The construction of a compressor station in the Town of Highland along the Millennium Pipeline is just one of several new elements of an expansion of the line that the company calls the …

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Millennium project expands; Another compressor announced for Hancock

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REGION — The construction of a compressor station in the Town of Highland along the Millennium Pipeline is just one of several new elements of an expansion of the line that the company calls the Eastern System Upgrade (ESU).

Millennium announced on February 8 that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given the company the go-ahead to “use its pre-filing process to review Millennium’s proposal.”

According to FERC documents, the proposal includes adding a new compressor at the company’s Hancock facility, the new compressor station in the Town of Highland, the addition of about 7.3 miles of pipeline between Millennium’s existing Huguenot and Westtown meter stations in Orange County; and the addition of facilities at Millennium’s existing Ramapo meter station.

The application says the project will allow Millennium to transport 200,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/day)—or 200 million cubic feet—of natural gas through the pipeline, which is required to meet increasing demand.

In November 2015, the company applied to FERC for a permit to build a segment of pipeline to serve the proposed 650 megawatt Corporate Power Ventures (CVP) power plant in the Town of Wawayanda in Orange County, which may explain some of the increased demand. The CVP power plant has sparked a large community backlash and a legal fight, which has attracted celebrities such as James Cromwell.

As part of the ESU project, the company plans to add a 22,400 horsepower compressor unit at Millennium’s existing Hancock Compressor Station, which is in addition to the 15,7000 horsepower compressor that went online in March 2014. That compressor resulted in legal action, with Millennium ultimately agreeing to pay to move a family away from its home because of the negative impacts of the compressor.

The company also plans to move forward with a 22,400 horsepower unit on an 80-acre parcel in the Town of Highland that was sold to the company by the Eldred Preserve.

Millennium expects the various elements of the project to be complete and in service by September 1, 2018.

The Millennium application says, “The customers that would be served by this upgrade are all Northeast utilities that are seeking to diversify the supply source for the gas their customers use. The additional capacity will benefit consumers by keeping gas supply prices low.”

As part of the required outreach effort to stakeholders, Millennium has contacted more than a dozen individuals and organizations, including senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, state senator John Bonacic and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.

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