OREANDA-NEWS. Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) announced today that it is initiating a binding open season from May 16 to June 9, 2016 for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, an expansion of the Transco interstate pipeline to provide incremental firm natural gas transportation capacity to demand markets in the northeastern United States. Transco plans to place the project into service for the 2019/2020 winter heating season.

The Northeast Supply Enhancement project is being designed to provide 400,000 dekatherms per day of firm natural gas transportation capacity from Transco’s Compressor Station 195 in York County, Pa., to the Rockaway Transfer Point, an existing interconnection between the Lower New York Bay Lateral and the Rockaway Delivery Lateral in offshore New York.

Prior to commencement of the open season, Williams executed precedent agreements with subsidiaries of National Grid – the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S. – for firm transportation service under the project. Once complete, the project will help meet the growing natural gas demand in the Northeast, including the 1.8 million customers served by National Grid in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.

“Customers and businesses in the local communities that we serve in New York City and on Long Island benefit from affordable, clean and reliable energy,” said Ken Daly, President, National Grid New York. “Williams’ Northeast Supply Enhancement project expands on our commitment to further improve reliability, make available much-needed gas capacity to support job growth, and help reduce our carbon footprint. This project complements the existing Brooklyn Queens Interconnect/Rockaway Lateral Project, which was completed last spring, and was the first new gas supply delivery point in decades for National Grid customers in this region.”

New York’s appetite for natural gas is increasing as consumers continue to phase out the use of heavy fuel oils. In April 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced sweeping goals to curb city emissions 80 percent by 2050, which includes phasing out the use of No. 4 fuel oil by 2030. The Northeast Supply Enhancement project creates the energy infrastructure to provide access to important natural supply to help New York meet its clean air goals.

“As demand for natural gas increases, the importance of the associated energy infrastructure becomes even more critical,” said Rory Miller, senior vice president of Williams Partners’ Atlantic-Gulf operating area. “The Northeast Supply Enhancement project will add critical infrastructure necessary to meet the region’s growing demand for natural gas while helping reduce air emissions.”

Subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Northeast Supply Enhancement project will consist of adding looping and compression to existing Transco pipeline facilities. In order to minimize potential environmental impacts, the proposed project corridor will maximize the use of Transco’s existing pipeline right-of-way. Williams does not anticipate that the project scope will change based on the outcome of the open season.

Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) is an industry-leading, large-cap natural gas infrastructure master limited partnership with a strong growth outlook and major positions in key U.S. supply basins and also in Canada. Williams Partners has operations across the natural gas value chain from gathering, processing and interstate transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids to petchem production of ethylene, propylene and other olefins. Williams Partners owns and operates more than 33,000 miles of pipelines system wide – including the nation’s largest volume and fastest growing pipeline – providing natural gas for clean-power generation, heating and industrial use. Williams Partners’ operations touch approximately 30 percent of U.S. natural gas. Tulsa, Okla.-based Williams (NYSE: WMB), a premier provider of large-scale North American natural gas infrastructure, owns 60 percent of Williams Partners, including all of the 2 percent general-partner interest.