Feds OK Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion In Pacific Northwest Over Environmentalist Protests

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest over the protest of environmental groups and top West Coast officials.

The project aims to expand the capacity of the Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline by about 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

The pipeline runs more than 1,300 miles through Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

The owner of the pipeline, TC Energy, says the project is needed due to growing demand.

It’s opposed by environmental groups and officials including U.S. senators, governors and attorneys general from Washington, Oregon and California.

Those officials say the pipeline expansion would undermine their states’ climate goals to reduce emissions.