Virginians for Jobs & the Economy Virginians for Jobs and the Economy is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition formed to advocate for projects that help build infrastructure, create jobs, and support local growth in Southwest Virginia. We support bringing world class infrastructure projects to Virginia in order to create great jobs and lay the groundwork for a thriving economy for decades to come. Mountain Valley Pipeline Project Overview The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a proposed underground, interstate natural gas pipeline system that spans approximately 303 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia and will deliver natural gas to several under-served Virginia communities. With a vast supply of natural gas from Marcellus and Utica shale production, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is expected to provide over 586 million kilowatt hours of electricity per day to homes and businesses in the Mid- and South Atlantic regions of the United States.
As currently planned, the pipeline will be up to 42 inches in diameter and will require approximately 50 feet of permanent easement (with 125 feet of temporary easement during construction). In addition, the project will need three new compressor stations, with identified locations in Wetzel, Braxton, and Fayette counties of West Virginia.
“In order to compete globally to attract businesses and create jobs, Virginia must have world-class energy infrastructure that provides abundant access to low-cost energy sources. New natural gas pipelines, like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, will diversify our energy mix, reduce our Commonwealth’s carbon emissions, and help build a new Virginia economy.” -Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Economic Benefits of the Pipeline: The project is expected to spend over $400 million on Virginia-based labor, goods, and services during construction.
JOBS MVP would create approximately 4,440 jobs over the course of its construction; 2,600 jobs directly related to the construction of the pipeline. On-going maintenance would create 34 jobs.
TAX REVENUE MVP would generate nearly $34 million in aggregate tax revenue during construction. Following pipeline completion, the pipeline will generate $7.4 million in tax revenue annually.
ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS MVP would create $3.6 million in annual savings due to fuel switching (switching from a different, more expensive fuel source). MVP is currently working with the Commonwealth of Virginia on an economic and environmental mitigation plan in which the project will contribute millions of dollars to local communities. Once the plan is agreed upon, we will provide specific information about how your community will benefit.
How much will the pipeline cost and who pays for it? The pipeline project has a total estimated cost of $3-to-$3.5 billion dollars. The cost of the project is entirely paid by the project partners.
Who is building the Mountain Valley Pipeline? EQT Midstream Partners, LP has a 45.5% significant ownership interest in the joint venture and will operate the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline; NextEra Energy has a 31% ownership interest; Con Edison Transmission, Inc. has a 12.5% interest; WGL Midstream has a 10% interest; and RGC Midstream, LLC has a 1% interest.
How long will construction take? MVP filed an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2014. MVP estimates that construction will begin mid-2017 and that the pipeline will be in service by the end of 2018. Since then, MVP has been the subject of numerous federal, state, and local government reviews and the project continues to participate in the on-going approval process.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this package comes from a variety of public sources, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline project’s website, a 2015 FTI Consulting study “Economic Benefits of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project in Virginia”, online and print media, and other sources.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Craig County, Virginia
Craig County currently has zero access to natural gas. Homes in the county are heated by either wood (35%), electricity (34%) or petroleum-based fuels, and commercial and municipal buildings use either electricity or petroleum- based fuels for heating purposes. Why would MVP be beneficial to towns like New Castle in Craig County? According to a 2015 study, natural gas prices in the Commonwealth in 2014 were 65% lower than the cost of residentially heating your home with electricity.
Craig County will receive property taxes every year from the MVP project. Craig County alone will receive over $100,000 every year once the pipeline is in service.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Franklin County, Virginia Franklin County will receive property taxes every year from the MVP project. Franklin County alone will receive over $2.2 million every year once the pipeline is in service.
Manufacturing employs 20% of the workforce in Franklin County. Not only will these companies enjoy the potential access to new jobs that will come from the expanding economic growth in the area, but they could save $300,000 a year if they switch to using natural gas.
There are approximately 23,500 households in Franklin County. Almost 70% of Franklin County households use electricity as their source for space heating, compared with 52% statewide. MVP will allow Franklin county to catch up to the rest of the state where 34% use natural gas as their source of heating in homes, while only 2% of households in Franklin County do.
The planned route of the pipeline will pass within 4 miles of the town of Rocky Mount, a town which currently does not have any natural gas infrastructure for homes, businesses or municipal buildings. These locations could save $1 million a year if they switch to natural gas. This route would lower the cost of pipeline access as compared to tapping into the closest access point in the Clearbrook area on the Roanoke Gas Company system. Clearbrook is more than 10 miles away from Rocky Mount.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Giles County, Virginia Giles County will receive property taxes every year from the MVP project. Giles County alone will receive over $1.1 million every year once the pipeline is in service.
73% of all households and business buildings do not have access to natural gas for heating needs. The town of Pembroke and the area east of the New River are less than two miles from the planned pipeline route and would greatly benefit from this new access to energy.
Manufacturing accounts for over 1,000 jobs and 35% of the total wages in Giles County. With an estimated 8.5 billion cubic feet per year of demand for natural gas in the future, there is opportunity to achieve over 70 new jobs and $4.5 million in new wages. For example, refitting the Celanese plant’s coal boilers with gas to meet environmental regulations would add over 20 jobs to the plant.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Montgomery County, Virginia
Montgomery County will receive property taxes every year from the MVP project. Montgomery County alone will receive over $1.8 million every year once the pipeline is in service.
While most of the county has access to natural gas, including two-thirds of residential homes using natural gas as their source of heating, the MVP will provide additional support and service to these areas. Natural gas is a low-cost fuel source that will support the manufacturing sector of Montgomery County’s economy. Manufacturing jobs are among the highest paying jobs in Montgomery County. The average annual wage is $53,700 versus a weighted average of $40,300 for all sectors in the county. Energy intensive manufacturers can have even higher wages.
One of the largest users of energy in the county is Virginia Tech. Currently, the Virginia Tech Central Steam Plant uses 78% coal, 20% natural gas, and 2% fuel oil to run the facility. Switching the coal plant to natural gas would help in reducing air emissions from the facility.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Pittsylvania County will receive property taxes every year from the MVP project. Pittsylvania County alone will receive over $1.2 million every year once the pipeline is in service.
The MVP will provide an abundant source of low-cost fuel for the county, where only 4% of households use natural gas for heating. 60% of homes use electricity as their source of heating, and the project will help provide the town of Gretna an abundant supply of natural gas.
Pittsylvania has 20 schools across the county, with 9,000 students. Only two of these schools are served by natural gas. Chatham High School is served by Columbia Gas, and Twin Springs Elementary, just north of Danville, is served by the City of Danville. The two small administrative buildings in Chatham also are served by natural gas. Switching to natural gas for these buildings would save over $480,000 a year in the county.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Roanoke County, Virginia
Roanoke County will receive property taxes from the MVP totaling over $950,000 every year once the pipeline is in service.
While most of the county has access to natural gas, the I-81 corridor is ripe for industrial development and expansion. The increased access to natural gas will encourage economic growth and infrastructure spending, providing important manufacturing jobs in the county.
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]
Why does the Coalition for Jobs & the Economy support MVP? Because the majority of Virginians do. Mountain Valley Pipeline Draws Widespread Public Support: New Poll Shows Majority Across Virginia Back MVP Project (Via: Mason Dixon Polling & Research)
A recent survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research shows a strong majority of Virginians support the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. The statewide survey of voters’ views on important policy issues and candidates for public office was conducted between Jan. 5, 2017, and Jan. 10, 2017. Among all respondents, 62 percent said they support the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Respondents in the Roanoke and Southwest Virginia region showed the strongest support for the project, with 74 percent of Roanoke area respondents supporting the MVP. The project has earned a broad base of support from private citizens, business groups, and elected officials, including the governors of Virginia and West Virginia. “These survey results reflect the importance of this project to the state and region,” said Shawn Posey, senior vice president, MVP construction and engineering. “The transportation capacity for MVP is already fully subscribed, which reflects the market’s recognition of the need for low-cost, reliable natural gas.” “These findings are reassuring that the vast majority of Virginians recognize that natural gas is clean, affordable, and abundant here in the U.S., and we need infrastructure like the Mountain Valley Pipeline to promote energy independence, create jobs, and generate tax revenue,” said Chris Saxman, executive director of Virginia FREE. “Demand for natural gas continues to grow, and the Mountain Valley Pipeline is an infrastructure project that is essential to meeting the needs of residents and employers across the Roanoke Valley,” said John D’Orazio, president and CEO of Roanoke Gas Co. “Pipelines are the safest way to move natural gas, and our plan to install taps on the MVP line in Montgomery and Franklin counties will bring lasting, positive economic benefits to our community.” “The Mountain Valley Pipeline is important for our future and these survey results indicate that most people agree,” said Joyce Waugh, president and CEO of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The MVP project’s construction will provide an immediate economic boost by creating thousands of jobs. In the longer term, the increased access to affordable, clean natural gas will help to position our region to recruit and retain employers.”
VIRGINIANS FOR JOBS AND THE ECONOMY (540) 353-4749 [email protected]