10.20.23

Hoeven: FERC Approves WBI Energy’s Wahpeton Natural Gas Expansion Project

Senator, Delegation Urged FERC to Approve WBI Application

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today issued the following statement after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved WBI Energy’s expansion project to bring natural gas service to Wahpeton. The 60.5-mile pipeline would deliver 20.6 million cubic feet of natural gas to the region, supporting existing businesses like agriculture processors while also providing additional capacity for future industrial expansion. Last year, Hoeven led the North Dakota delegation in supporting WBI’s application for the project with FERC. Project construction is expected to start in early 2024, with a planned in-service date of November 2024.

“Natural gas service provides important economic opportunities for our communities, supporting a wide array of industries, including agribusinesses and manufacturers,” said Hoeven. “By working to advance the approval of projects like WBI Energy’s Wahpeton expansion, we are strengthening U.S. energy security and supporting the resilience of our local economies.”

Hoeven worked to advance the project’s approval as part of his broader efforts to strengthen U.S. energy production and support the facilities needed to get energy to market. To this end, Hoeven is pushing back on burdensome regulations being imposed by the Biden administration, such as restrictions on federal leasing and permitting for energy development. The senator is sponsoring legislation to provide regulatory relief in the federal permitting process, including a bill to streamline and set deadlines for multi-agency National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of natural gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.

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