Lenny Cordova
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Lenny Cordova signed Summit Midwest Carbon Express Petition 2025 via Todd Hartle 2025-02-13 19:18:27 -0600
Sign Our Comment to Decision Makers
In late 2024, Minnesota and North Dakota granted permits for Summit Carbon Solutions’ Midwest Carbon Express project, a proposed multibillion-dollar carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipeline that is expected to support more than 12,000 construction jobs, many going to Local 798 members.
More than 2,000 advocates signed our petition to support this project during a previous comment period. Stand up with us again! Sign our petition below that we will submit to regulators and other decision makers to show support as it continues to move through the permitting process.
Dear Official:
Please accept this comment in support of Summit Carbon Solutions' Midwest Carbon Express project, a multi-billion-dollar investment in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Once in service, this project will provide much-needed economic relief across smaller and rural communities in the Midwest. This is poised to create good jobs for the local workforce, generate critical tax revenue and increase access to reliable energy. The construction phase alone is expected to create more than 12,000 jobs, a number of which should go to the dedicated members of Local 798 who depend on infrastructure projects to provide for their families.
More reasons why I support the Midwest Carbon Express Project are outlined below:
- Summit Carbon Solutions is partnering with ethanol plants across the Midwest to create new revenue streams for this industry, which currently supports 360,000 jobs and annually contributes $45 billion to the U.S. GDP;
- Project leadership has clear plans to partner with local businesses and stakeholders during the construction and operational phase of the project, ensuring it provides a meaningful, ongoing economic boost to communities across the Midwest;
- Summit Carbon Solutions has outlined steps to prioritize project safety, including only utilizing highly rated materials such as American-made high strength carbon steel, as well as maintaining an operations center in Ames that will monitor the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Approving this project is just one step we can today to help solve the dual challenge of rebuilding our economy and addressing the urgent threat of greenhouse gas emissions. This is why I urge decision makers to join me in issue necessary approvals for Midwest Carbon Express.
Signed,
[Signed Below]
**By signing this petition, I agree to share my name on Pipeliners Local 798's submission(s) to federal and state decision makers in support of the Midwest Carbon Express project.**
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Lenny Cordova signed Energy Permitting Reform Act Letter via Justin Wallace 2024-10-09 08:04:59 -0500
Sign Our Letter to Legislators
In July 2024, the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee received strong bipartisan support for the Energy Permitting Reform Act (EPRA) of 2024, sponsored by Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY). This legislation, which will narrow the scope of review and streamline the approval process for infrastructure projects, advanced out of committee fewer than two weeks after it was introduced because lawmakers recognized how it is poised to play a critical role in supporting robust domestic energy development across the country - and ensuring good opportunities for our members.
We submitted the letter below with more than 2,300 signatures to congressional leadership in November 2024 supporting this critical bill. We will continue to collect signatures in anticipation of legislative discussions in the coming year.
RE: Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024
Dear [Official]:
I stand with Pipeliners Local 798, a trades union representing the nation’s most skilled and dedicated industry craftsmen, in supporting Chairman Joe Manchin and Ranking Member John Barrasso's sponsored Energy Permitting Reform Act (EPRA) of 2024. This legislation, which has already received strong bipartisan support, provides much-needed transparency and efficiency to a permitting system that has long been dogged with unnecessary and costly red tape.
As we have seen too many times, delays in infrastructure permitting increases costs, threatens jobs and halts critical economic activity in our communities. To be more specific, the current system's inefficiencies have costed billions of dollars in investments and tens of thousands of U.S. jobs - many of which belong to the men and women of the United Association who have played a central role in building America's infrastructure network.
I support the common-sense provisions outlined in the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 for the following specific reasons:
- Accelerates leasing and permitting decisions for energy projects on federal lands, helping to eliminate duplicative permit requirements and avoid long delays on critical project approvals;
- Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a rule on interregional transmission planning and cost allocation within 180 days of a bill's enactment, ensuring the review process remains focused on the details that move project approval forward;
- Helps to ensure that consistent domestic offshore energy development continues in the coming years by mandating lease sales for both traditional and renewable energy development;
- By making FERC the lead agency for conducting environmental reviews of transmission projects that are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act, this simplifies the backstop authority and streamlines otherwise stuttering approvals;
- Helps accelerate the benefits of nearly $2 trillion provided by Congress for investments in infrastructure and clean energy, ultimately supporting sustainable energy infrastructure development and maintenance.
On behalf of all industry craftsmen who have struggled to make a living while waiting for construction approvals for infrastructure projects, I am proud to support the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. I understand there is much more work to be done to address the incredible constraints facing pipeline infrastructure, but this legislation is certainly a significant step in that direction. This is why I urge you and your colleagues to lend support to push this forward.
Signed,
[Names below]
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Comment Period Ends July 28: Sign Now
The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Wilmington District, is accepting public comments on Williams' Southeast Supply Enhancement Project as it reviews a permit application under provisions of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Nearly 2,400 advocates signed our petition below that we submitted to FERC on June 6, 2024 to support this project during its public scoping comment period. We have continued to collect signatures in anticipation of upcoming comment periods - such as this one with the Army Corps.
Add your name before the comment period with the Army Corps ends on July 28!
Dear [Official]:
I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in support of the Southeast Supply Enhancement project, a critical expansion of the natural gas infrastructure network in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, and the first large-scale takeaway expansion to be announced in the area since the long-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline.
This system enhancement will help meet skyrocketing demands for affordable, reliable energy by moving more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to its delivery network, a significant capacity increase that will be enough to power five or six new large, combined cycle plants and will ultimately move this domestically sourced gas to millions of American homes and businesses.
Williams has long demonstrated its commitment to ensure thorough consultation and cooperation with state, local and federal regulatory agencies, as well as community stakeholders throughout the permitting process. This is of particular importance for large scale projects such as this and it includes working with community members and industry experts to identify potential environmental issues or concerns and then to potentially modify the project design to further minimize possible impacts.
Below are just a few specific reasons why I support this project:
- The expansion will add enough natural gas pipeline capacity to meet the needs of 8.6 million homes, enabling Transco to address the growing natural gas-fired power generation, commercial, residential and industrial demand in the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States.
- The increase in pipeline capacity will encourage southern utilities to build new gas plants, opening the region to a generational investment in natural gas while strengthening grid reliability and driving down energy costs at a time when many families are struggling to handle their monthly bills.
- More urgently, the project will create good jobs for skilled industry craftsmen in the region, many of whom are long-time members of Pipeliners Local 798, as well as provide an economic boost to communities along the route.
The Southeast Supply Enhancement Project is poised to be a critical component of the region's energy infrastructure network – supporting good jobs, increasing access to domestically sourced natural gas and generating needed economic benefits. This is why I urge FERC and other agencies to issue necessary permits to ensure it remains on schedule.
Signed,
**By signing this petition, I agree to share my name on Pipeliners Local 798's submission(s) to federal and state decision makers in support of the Southeast Supply Enhancement project.**
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Sign Our Petition Supporting Ridgeline
Enbridge is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority to design, construct and operate the Ridgeline Expansion Project, an expansion of Enbridge’s existing East Tennessee Natural Gas (ETNG) system. Ultimately, this would provide affordable and domestically sourced natural gas for the utility’s customers as the system continues to transition to cleaner energy.
Pending the receipt of all necessary permits, construction would begin in 2025 with a target in-service date of fall 2026. Sign our below petition that we will submit to respective decision makers as this project moves through the permitting process.
Dear [Secretary]:
I am proud to support Enbridge and the Tennessee Valley Authority as they develop the Ridgeline Expansion Project, a critical investment into the energy and economic future of Tennessee and the surrounding region.
Project construction will support good jobs for local craftsmen, many going to Pipeliners Local 798 members. Once complete, this expansion will provide Tennesseans with a lower-carbon, cleaner-burning energy source.
I support the Ridgeline Expansion Project for the following key reasons:
- The project is designed to meet the rising demand for natural gas, providing affordable and cleaner energy for the utility’s customers;
- The majority of the proposed route would be located within the existing system's right-of-way, which minimizes impacts to landowners and the environment;
- I understand the quality of work that Pipeliners Local 798 members and other regional craftsmen will put into this project to ensure its efficiency, safety and reliability. Local 798 workers have delivered on energy infrastructure projects like this for decades.
Simply put, projects like the Ridgeline Expansion Project are necessary to meet the rising demand for natural gas. This clean-burning energy currently fuels one-third of electric power generation and heats approximately half of all U.S. homes. This project will help more families and businesses in Tennessee realize the full advantages of this abundantly available resource.
I encourage FERC to issue necessary permits without delay, allowing the Ridgeline Expansion Project to meet its proposed in-service date in 2026.
Signed,
[Names below]
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Lenny Cordova for Driftwood Pipeline
Driftwood Pipeline
About the project
Driftwood proposes to construct and operate dual 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipelines, referred to as the Line 200 and Line 300 project, originating near Ragley in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana southward to a proposed receiver facility near Carlyss in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Additional facilities include one new compressor station, eleven meter stations, six mainline valves, and other aboveground facilities. The project would provide a maximum seasonal capacity of 5.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to the Lake Charles market.
FERC is accepting public comments on the project's draft Environmental Impact Statement through July 5, 2022.
Click here to view the project website.
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Lenny Cordova for National fuel.
Northern Access
About the project
As the fourth largest natural gas consuming state in the country, New York runs on natural gas. Integral to the New York state economy, the use of natural gas and the pipeline infrastructure that delivers gas from neighboring states not only provides clean, homegrown, abundant, reliable and affordable energy, but also provides good-paying jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for communities nationwide.
The Northern Access pipeline will provide an outlet for natural gas production in north-central Pennsylvania, connecting it to the interstate pipeline system. That system connects to markets in the northeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic regions as well as eastern Canada. The new sections of pipeline will interconnect specifically with the existing Trans Canada and Tennessee Gas Pipeline systems.
The project awaits a clean water certification from the New York State DEC before construction can begin.
Click here to view the project website.
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Lenny Cordova for this project
Mountain Valley
About the project
MVP received federal approval in June 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered in August for construction on MVP to resume, granting a request to lift lower court orders that had halted the project and (again) delayed its completion.
In April 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission amended Mountain Valley Pipeline's 2017 Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, supporting project completion under water bodies with specific construction methods. MVP, which is already 94% complete, still needs authorization from other agencies for work in remaining streams and wetlands.
With a vast supply of natural gas from Marcellus and Utica shale production, MVP is expected to provide up to two million dekatherms per day of firm transmission capacity to markets in the Mid- and South Atlantic regions of the U.S.
You can learn more about MVP on its project website.
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Sign Our Comment to FERC
The Delta Lateral Project will expand natural gas capacity of Kern River Gas Transmission's existing transmission system in Utah while supporting good jobs for local craftsmen.
In December 2021, Local 798 submitted the below petition with 2,080 signatures to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement. In February 2022, FERC released the final DEIS. In anticipation of more public comment periods ahead, please sign this petition that we will submit to other regulators and decision makers in support of Delta Lateral.
Dear Secretary Bose:
I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in support of Kern River Gas Transmission Company's Delta Lateral Project. This important project will enable Kern River to meet rising natural gas demands in the area and will support good jobs for local craftsmen, including Local 798 members.
In its draft EIS, FERC found the project’s environmental impacts would be reduced to “less-than-significant levels”due to the minimization and mitigation measures proposed by Kern River and recommended by the Commission. Project leaders remain committed to these mitigation efforts and continue to collaborate with stakeholders and environmental experts to develop the most responsible and efficient development plan. I see no reason to alter this review in the final EIS.
Overall, I support the Delta Lateral Project for the following reasons:
- Project leaders have consistently collaborated with stakeholders and environmental experts to ensure it meets or exceeds federal safety standards while developing the most efficient and responsible pipeline route;
- Delta Lateral is a critical part of the region’s energy infrastructure network and its carbon reduction strategy, as it is designed to provide firm transportation service for the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) in Utah, which is working towards installing gas-fired generating units capable of using hydrogen, and developing hydrogen production and long-term storage capabilities;
- Local 798 recognizes Kern River’s history of designing, constructing and operating safe and reliable pipeline systems. The company has demonstrated this same commitment with Delta Lateral.
Due to the reasons discussed above, I support the Delta Lateral Project and urge the swift approval of necessary permits.
Signed,
[Names below]
**Local 798 will submit this petition to state and federal regulators and other decision makers to support the Delta Lateral Project.**
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Pledge To Be An Energy Voter
With the right leadership and vision, we can ensure all Americans benefit from our nation’s emergence as an energy leader. It’s time to fulfill our bright energy future; it’s time to vote for candidates that support Local 798 jobs and the work that we do.
Join Local 798 by signing the petition and becoming an Energy Voter.
I understand the urgent need for clean, affordable and domestically sourced energy in my community, across my state and in throughout the nation. That is why I stand with political candidates and elected officials who show their support for an energy pipeline network that will safely and efficiently transport the nation’s abundant supply of domestic natural gas and oil supplies.
America is leading the world in oil and natural gas production. Working together, we can do even more. Producing, refining and transporting more domestic oil and natural gas will mean more abundant energy – and that means more affordable energy for American families and businesses.
We know there is enough potential domestic energy to serve all residential, business and industrial needs across the country. Yet, support for critical energy infrastructure is lacking among our political leaders.
To support my livelihood, my family and my community, I will enter the voting booth informed about how political leaders stand on the issue of energy infrastructure development. I will do my part to help elect leaders who recognize the tremendous benefits of and need to grow our energy transportation network and who support the union workforce that will build it.
Sincerely,
American Energy Industry Supporter
Lenny Cordova 451sc