COMMENT

摘要

REGULATORY ROADBLOCKS: The July cancellation of the Atlantic Coast pipeline was a blow to the North American pipeline industry. Despite winning a Supreme Court victory in June concerning a key permit, the long-delayed project faced several insurmountable roadblocks, including a contested route underneath the Appalachian Trail, mounting costs following legal challenges and, more recently, fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, the utility companies that owned the cancelled project, know that the demand for the gas pipeline exists, but this isn't always enough to get a pipeline built. Upon cancelling the project, Dominion Chief Executive Thomas F. Farrell II and Duke Energy Chief Executive Lynn J. Good said in a joint statement: "This announcement reflects the increasing legal uncertainty that overhangs large-scale energy and industrial infrastructure development in the United States... Until these issues are resolved, the ability to satisfy the country's energy needs will be significantly challenged."