The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity to PennEast on Friday, authorizing it to construct and operate the proposed PennEast Project.

PennEast's Anthony Cox, Chair of the PennEast Pipeline Company LLC Board of Managers, heralded the decision as a victory for businesses and families throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

"They will reap the benefits of accessing one of the most affordable and abundant supplies of natural gas in all of North America. PennEast will lower gas and electricity costs, increase reliability, improve air quality, and make the region more competitive for jobs in the coming decades," Cox said in a statement.

The proposed natural gas pipeline, which will run from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania to Mercer County, New Jersey, was approved by FERC with only one dissenting vote by Commissioner Richard Glick.

“I respectfully dissent from today’s order because I believe that the record in this proceeding fails to demonstrate that the PennEast Project satisfies the requirements for a certificate of public convenience and necessity under the Natural Gas Act. Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act requires that, before issuing a certificate for new pipeline construction, the Commission find both a need for the pipeline and that, on balance, the pipeline’s benefits outweigh its harms. I disagree with the Commission’s conclusion that the PennEast Project meets these standards," Glick said in a statement.

Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur, in a statement supporting the decision, did acknowledge the potential environmental impact and incomplete environmental surveys that have made it such a hotly contested project. However, she claimed that the order issued on Friday would ensure that FERC would be able to monitor PennEast's compliance with regulations "particularly related to the completion of those surveys, and any necessary avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures that may be needed."

In a release issued on Saturday, Save Carbon County, which has fought against the project from the beginning, firmly stated their opposition to the decision.

"Impacted homeowners now face the taking of their property for an unneeded and harmful pipeline that is not in the public interest. Taking private property for private gain is wrong and un-American," the statement read.

SCC spokesperson Linda Christman assured the public that while PennEast has received approval for now, the decision was expected, as FERC has only rejected two pipeline projects over the course of 30 years. Despite this, Christman said that homeowners should stay strong and continue the fight.

“Our organization and several more will continue to fight this pipeline, and we expect to win," she said.

"This pipeline is two years behind schedule and has not yet received critical state and agency permits. We believe this pipeline will not be built—nor should it be.”