Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC said Oct. 23 it plans to build a 301-mile interstate natural gas transmission pipeline supplied by the Marcellus and Utica in West Virginia.

The Pittsburgh company has formally applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization of the pipeline's construction. The pipeline will be designed to provide timely, cost-effective access to the growing demand for natural gas for use by local distribution companies, industrial users, and power generation facilities in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Appalachian regions of the U.S., the release said.

The pipeline will begin in Wetzel County, W.Va., and traverse south to Pittsylvania County, Va. The pipe is expected to provide at least 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of firm transmission capacity. Pending regulatory approval, construction is anticipated to begin in late 2016, with a full in-service targeted for the fourth quarter of 2018.

Mountain Valley is a joint venture (JV) between EQT Midstream Partners LP (NYSE: EQM) and affiliates of NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE), WGL Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WGL), Vega Energy Partners Ltd and RGC Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: RGCO). EQT will be majority owner and operator of the proposed pipeline.