"Virginia regulators unexpectedly tossed the fate of the Atlantic Coast pipeline project up in the air yesterday, as what was widely expected to be a vote to let the natural gas pipeline proceed instead raised new questions about the project's timing and next steps forward.

The State Water Control Board yesterday split from a staff recommendation offered by the Department of Environmental Quality that favored granting a certificate to cross the state. Instead, it voted to approve a certificate effective only after the agency has completed several environmental studies and the board has had a chance to review them.

In the hours after the vote, officials with the DEQ and project opponents both described the decision as unprecedented and said they were uncertain what the next steps in the process would be."

Jenny Mandel reports for EnergyWire December 13, 2017. [2]