The Jordan Cove project would directly link Colorado to new energy markets – Hickenlooper
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has written to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) chair Cheryl LaFleur in support of the Jordan Cove LNG project and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, according to Statesman Journal.
“Jordan Cove is of specific interest to Colorado,” Hickenlooper wrote. “The project terminal is the only LNG facility on the west coast that would directly link Colorado to new energy markets via the Ruby Pipeline which originates in Colorado and carries natural gas from that region to states further west of Colorado.”
The Ruby Pipeline, owned by Kinder Morgan (ticker: KMI) is a 680-mile, 42-inch diameter pipeline system that extends from Wyoming to Oregon. Natural gas supplies from major Rocky Mountain basins are shipped to consumers in California Nevada and the Pacific Northwest. Ruby would connect to the proposed Pacific Connector Pipeline at the Malin Hub in Malin, Ore. From the hub, natural gas from the Rocky Mountain region would be shipped to the proposed Jordan Cove LNG project.
Jordan Cove LNG is slated for the North Spit of lower Coos Bay, 7 nautical miles from the entrance of the federally controlled and maintained navigation channel. The Pacific Connector pipeline will supply 1 Bcf/d to the LNG facility, which has 6 million tons per annum of liquefaction capacity. The Department of Energy has authorized Jordan Cove to ship LNG to non-free trade agreement (non-FTA) as well as FTA countries.
Hickenlooper is not the first to come out in favor of the project, however. Utah Governor Gary Herbert issued a letter of support for Jordan Cove in October 2013. Oregon Governor Kate Brown has not publicly taken a stance on the project; neither has Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.
