FERC issues certificate for Columbia Gulf's 41.3-mile Kentucky gas pipeline
- Pipeline to serve East Kentucky Power's Cooper Station
- Columbia Gulf estimates cost at about $413 million
- Certificate stayed during rehearing period for landowners
Photo: Wikimedia Commons - State Government PhotographerWhat changed The order modifies Environmental Condition 15 from the environmental assessment's recommendation to restrict Highway 39 drilling noise to no more than an Ldn of 55 dBA at the noise-sensitive areas, to a requirement that the total noise increase be no more than 10 decibels over background levels at noise-sensitive areas where existing noise levels exceed 55 dBA Ldn.
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a certificate to Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC to build and operate the Pulaski Project, a natural gas pipeline in Kentucky, but stayed the authority while landowners can seek rehearing.
The project is designed to provide 260,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service to East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc.'s John S. Cooper Power Station in Pulaski County, according to the order in Docket No. CP26-11-000. Columbia Gulf estimates the project will cost approximately $413 million.
The order says Columbia Gulf proposes approximately 41.3 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline from a tie-in with its mainline in Stanford, Kentucky, to a new delivery point in Somerset, Kentucky. East Kentucky, a rural electric cooperative, plans to add a gas turbine facility and transition from coal to natural gas co-firing at Cooper Station.
The commission stayed the certificate because several affected landowners intervened and protested, and Columbia Gulf has not yet acquired all necessary property interests. The order says the stay covers the 30-day rehearing period and lasts until the commission resolves any timely landowner rehearing requests, up to 90 days after the date those requests may be deemed denied.
The commission approved an incremental reservation charge of $18.625 per dekatherm under the new Rate Schedule FTS-1-PUL. The order says that charge is higher than the system recourse rate of $6.0957 per dekatherm, so existing customers will not subsidize the project.
Producer Antero Resources Corporation had asked FERC to determine whether the project would harm existing customers, citing outages on north-to-south flows. The commission found the project would provide service to East Kentucky "without degrading service to existing customers."
Columbia Gulf must complete construction and make the facilities available for service within three years of the order.
Columbia Gulf filed its application on Oct. 15, 2025. Commission staff issued an environmental assessment on June 22, 2026.