SACE Joins Suit Against FERC For Authorizing Unnecessary $5.2 Billion SSE4 & MSX Gas Pipeline Proposals

A coalition of landowners, conservation groups, and the Southern Environmental Law Center has sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over its approval of two gas pipeline projects in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The South System Expansion 4 (SSE4) and Mississippi Crossing (MSX) pipelines carry an estimated $5.2 billion price tag and are backed by Kinder Morgan and Southern Company affiliates, including Georgia Power, Alabama Power, and Mississippi Power.

The groups argue the pipelines aren't needed. Independent economic reports found that utilities have already locked in more gas capacity than they're likely to use, based on data center growth forecasts the reports call speculative. If built, the pipelines would cross 18 river watersheds that communities use for drinking water, fishing, and farming, and could raise air pollution and health risks, including asthma and heart disease, in nearby neighborhoods. Petitioners also point to the risk of gas leaks and explosions, noting one has already occurred along an existing line in Alabama.

For homeowners, the stakes are mainly financial. Because utility customers typically pay for both pipeline construction and the fuel that flows through it, the lawsuit's backers warn that approving unneeded capacity could push electric bills higher in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The case, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, is part of a broader pattern across the South, where utilities have proposed tens of thousands of megawatts of new gas-fired power plants to meet data center demand that critics say may never materialize.