U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region to See Nearly $20 Billion in Second-Half 2017 Kickoffs, Fueled by Natural Gas Growth

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Transportation and natural gas-related infrastructure projects are driving much of the growth in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region in the second half of 2017. Industrial Info is tracking more than $19.5 billion in active projects that are set to begin construction in the area from July through December, more than 75% of which are in just three industries: Industrial Manufacturing, Power Generation and Oil & Gas Pipelines.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing active projects scheduled to kick off in second-half 2017 in the Mid-Atlantic region, by industry.

The Mid-Atlantic region includes Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

More than half of the $3.5 billion in Power Industry projects set to kick off from July through December are attributed to natural gas-fired generation, which has grown rapidly as coal, once the bread and butter of states in the region, has become less cost-competitive. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) is preparing to begin construction on a $600 million unit addition at Asheville Power Station in Arden, North Carolina. The natural gas-fired, combined-cycle (NGCC) unit, which will add about 560 megawatts (MW), is set to begin generating energy in mid-2020. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report and May 31, 2017, article - Duke Plans $36 Billion in Capital Outlays Over Next Decade.

NGCC technology also drives NTE Energy LLC's (St. Augustine, Florida) proposed, $510 million Reidsville Energy Center in Rockingham County, North Carolina. The project, still in its permitting stages, would generate 500 MW. It reached a milestone last month when the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners approved a utilities agreement that allows for infrastructure to supply water to the plant, according to local media. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report and March 28, 2017, article - NTE Energy Wins Key Approval for One of $3.2 Billion in Natural Gas-Fired Projects.

Renewables also play a growing role in the Mid-Atlantic's energy market. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corporation (Oakville, Ontario) expects to begin construction soon on $123.8 million in additions to the Great Bay Solar I facility near Princess Anne, Maryland. The installation of new photovoltaic panels on fixed-tilt racking systems is expected to add 75 MW to the grid. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

More than any other state, West Virginia has struggled to adapt to coal's decline, and is set to host two natural gas pipelines: Dominion Energy's (NYSE:D) (Richmond, Virginia) $550 million portion of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and EQT Corporation's (NYSE:EQT) (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) $525 million portion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Each line is connected to a system that originates in the Utica and Marcellus shales and carries 1.5 billion cubic feet per day and 2 billion cubic feet per day, respectively, of natural gas to West Virginia and destinations farther south. Both remain in their permitting phases. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley segments.

Transportation and cargo-related projects dominate the nearly $8 billion in Industrial Manufacturing Industry projects. Virginia Port Authority is at work on a $350 million overhaul at a storage container terminal in Norfolk. The project involves updating the existing facility to feature rail-mounted gantry cranes, and improving 18,000 feet of track at the on-dock rail yard to increase capacity by 400,000 containers per year to 1.22 million containers per year. The Port of Virginia recently added 26 truck lanes at its North Gate Complex at the same terminal. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

However, the single largest project of any industry, Maryland's $5.6 billion extension of the Purple Line light-rail transit in Baltimore, is increasingly unlikely to meet its scheduled kickoff before the end of the year. The 16-mile addition would run through the Baltimore suburbs and include 21 stations, but a federal lawsuit has stalled progress since August of last year. Late in May, Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn announced that the state was scaling back pre-construction work while an appeal in the case is pending, according to The Washington Post. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com/.