1. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission and rates of natural gas, as well as electricity and oil. They review and approve—or reject—proposals to build natural gas pipelines to ensure that the route of the proposed pipeline is safe and efficient. Because they have such a large part in the approval decision of pipelines in the United States, representatives from the agency are often sources in media articles on pipelines. They can provide a professional look into why the pipeline is approved or rejected in terms of its safety. The agency was formed in 1920 under its original name of Federal Power Commission and in 1938, the Natural Gas Act gave FERC jurisdiction over the interstate natural gas pipelines. The agency is made up of five commissioners and one chairman, all of who have one vote on decisions. To contact them, FERC has several phone numbers and emails on their website www.ferc.gov, as well as directions on how to find their headquarters in Washington, DC.
2. Delaware River Basin Commission
A regional government agency, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) was formed in 1961 as an interstate compact between Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York, all states in which the Delaware River flows. Because the agency is involved with the Delaware River watershed, where the PennEast Pipeline is proposed to run through, they are deeply scrutinizing the proposal. However, their review of the proposal will not affect the pipeline’s scheduled construction, according to representatives from the PennEast Pipeline (Kraus 2014). Because the DRBC’s main responsibility is the upkeep the Delaware River region, they are often sources in articles about the PennEast Pipeline. The people who made up the commission include the governors of all four states as well as the North Atlantic Division Engineer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To contact them, their mailing addresses as well as their telephone number are available on their website, www.nj.gov/drbc.
3. TransCanada
The company that proposed the expansion of the Keystone XL Pipeline, TransCanada, currently operates one of the largest natural gas transmission networks in North America with about 42,000 miles. Since the Keystone pipeline began operations in 2010, they have delivered over 550 million barrels of Canadian crude oil to markets in the United States. TransCanada is a source that is necessary in articles about the Keystone Pipeline. A representative of the company should always have the opportunity to explain their plans and ideas to the general public. To contact TransCanada, they have an email address, Bettermann 8 mailing addresses and a phone number all available on their website, www.keystone- xl.com.
4. PennEast Pipeline
The company developing the PennEast Pipeline, the PennEast Pipeline Company, is made up of six counterparts, including Spectra Energy Partners and UGI Energy Sources. Together, these six partners have provided energy to over 3 million customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Just as with TransCanada, the PennEast Company is also a source that should always have an opportunity to speak about their plans in any articles about the PennEast Pipeline. Without their say, the article would be unbalanced. To contact the PennEast Pipeline Company, their phone number and email address are both available on their website, www.penneastpipeline.com. To contact their main spokesperson, Patricia Kornick, phone (412) 780-4696 or email at pkornick@penneastpipeline.com.
5. Williams Company
Williams is a pipeline company that operates on both the east and west coast. In the east, the Transco Pipeline is the country’s largest interstate natural gas pipeline with its mainline stretching 1,800 miles between South Texas and New York City. It is this pipeline that the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline would expand from. Williams, along with the previous two companies, should also always have an opportunity to include their voice in an article about one of their pipelines. To contact them, their phone numbers and email are available on their website, www.co.williams.com.