Dominion Energy and Duke Energy cancel Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Today, Duke Energy and Dominion Energy canceled the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), a proposed 600-mile fracked gas transmission line planned to span West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, citing economic uncertainty and continued delays. The massive fossil fuel project has been riddled with problems, having eight required permits vacated by courts or suspended by government agencies. Originally proposed in 2014 at an estimated cost of $5 billion, the estimated cost of the ACP ballooned to over $8 billion.

The pipeline would have disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous and low-income communities along its route from the proposed gas-fired compressor station in Union Hill, a historic, predominantly Black community in Buckingham County, Va., to the Lumbee community in Robeson County, N.C., the largest community of Native Americans east of the Mississippi River.

Statement from Tom Cormons, Appalachian Voices Executive Director:

“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was never needed, and the facts have never been more clear: fracked gas has no role in our energy future. From Robeson County, N.C., to Harrison County W.Va., in statehouses and courthouses, communities have stood shoulder to shoulder to protect their land, their water and their communities. Today’s announcement marks a historic victory for environmental justice.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was a climate catastrophe and economic boondoggle from the start. The smart investment today is in the people of Central and Southern Appalachia. Not in the resources that might be extracted and exported, but in projects that generate local wealth, healthy communities and clean, sustainable energy. We are hopeful that this momentous victory is merely a tipping point as our society pivots towards a clean energy economy that works for all people.”