Press Release

PUC Denies Laurel Pipe Line Application to Change Direction of Petroleum Pipeline Transportation in Southwestern PA

Published on 7/12/2018

Filed under: Gas

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today denied an application filed by Laurel Pipeline Company L.P. (Laurel) to change direction of petroleum products transportation service to delivery points in western and southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Commission voted 5-0 to adopt the Recommended Decision issued on March 29, 2018 by Administrative Law Judge Eranda Vero, with limited modifications.

In issuing their decision, the Commissioners determined that Laurel’s application was a request for partial abandonment of intrastate public utility service along the Altoona-Pittsburgh portion of its pipeline – which the PUC has jurisdiction to consider – and concluded that Laurel had failed to satisfy its burden regarding the abandonment.

Today’s decision by the Commission follows nearly two years of extensive investigation and litigation over Laurel’s application, which was submitted on Nov. 14, 2016. 

In that application, Laurel proposed to reverse the flow on part of the Western Pennsylvania portion of its pipeline system, allowing petroleum products to move eastward, toward the Altoona area to transport petroleum products from Midwestern refineries to destinations in Western and Central Pennsylvania.

As noted in the application, Laurel currently transports petroleum products from east to west – from points of origin near Philadelphia to destinations across the state, terminating west of Pittsburgh, where it connects to pipelines originating from refineries located in the Midwest. A portion of the capacity of the pipeline is also used to transport petroleum products from New Jersey and Delaware to destinations in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

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Docket No.: A-2016-2575829

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov