A PYMNTS Company

US: Hopewell wants antitrust investigation of PennEast pipeline

 |  December 7, 2016

Township officials have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to address the PennEast Pipeline project’s potential violation of federal antitrust laws.

And if the commission doesn’t, the town will ask for a federal investigation.

“We call on the FERC to investigate the inter-dealing inherent in the PennEast corporate structure,” Kevin Kuchinski, the township’s mayor, said in a public FERC filing.

“If FERC shows itself unwilling to act on this issue, we reserve the right to call on the Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice, who are empowered to take such action to enforce the Antitrust law if other federal agencies fail in this capacity, to do so,” Kuchinski said.

The comment states that, as the primary regulators, FERC is to be the first enforcer of laws and is therefore required to enforce antitrust laws.

Six of the pipelines owners have contracted their subsidiary utility companies for 74 percent of the total gas capacity of the pipeline.

In July, FERC said they would consider similar claims of market abuse put forward by the Eastern Environmental Law Center — similar concerns were later raised by the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel.

Full Content: True Jersey

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.