Williams Plans New Transco Expansion to Serve 'Power-Hungry' Virginia
By Mary Holcomb, Digital Editor
(P&GJ) — Williams has unveiled a major expansion of its Transco pipeline network with the newly announced Power Express project, a 950 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) expansion aimed at meeting surging power generation needs in Virginia. The project is slated to enter service by the third quarter of 2030.
The Transco pipeline delivers natural gas through a 10,000-mile interstate transmission pipeline system extending from south Texas to New York City. The pipeline system transports approximately 15% of the nation’s natural gas.
The expansion underscores the pipeline operator’s strategy to support rapidly growing electricity markets increasingly driven by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, which require reliable and scalable natural gas capacity.
"We are encouraged by what we see on the data center opportunity front," Alan Armstrong, president and CEO of Williams, said in the company's first-quarter 2025 results on May 5. "Our acquisition of a minority interest in Cogentrix Energy enhances our market intelligence and gives us line of sight into how we can better serve the growing power markets with gas supply."
The company highlighted Power Express as one of several high-return projects in development as part of its Q1 2025 earnings results. The expansion joins a growing list of Transco initiatives, including the recently completed Texas to Louisiana Energy Pathway and Southeast Energy Connector, as well as ongoing construction on the Alabama Georgia Connector.
Socrates Project Supports AI Power Growth in Ohio
In addition to the Virginia expansion, Williams reported progress on its Socrates Power Innovation project in New Albany, Ohio. The $1.6 billion development includes two advanced natural gas-fired generation facilities—Socrates North and South—with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts (MW). Each site, covering about 20 acres, is designed to provide 200 MW of behind-the-meter power for AI and data center operations.
Socrates is already under construction and is fully contracted under a 10-year fixed-price power purchase agreement.
Regulated by the Ohio Power Siting Board, the Socrates project is expected to be in service by Q3 2026. Construction activities include the installation of high-efficiency gas turbines, substations, and emissions control technology to minimize environmental impact.
The company noted the project’s role in reinforcing grid reliability and enabling power-hungry industries to scale in the Columbus metro area.
Beyond Virginia and Ohio, the company is actively advancing other projects, including its Overthrust Westbound Expansion and deepwater pipeline systems tied to the Whale and Ballymore fields. These developments are expected to further boost earnings through 2026.
“With an ever-expanding backlog of fully contracted projects extending beyond 2030, Williams is well positioned to benefit from the coming wave of natural gas demand from the power generation market and LNG exports,” Armstrong said.
The Author
Mary Holcomb is the Digital Editor & Operations Manager at Gulf Energy Information, overseeing the Pipeline & Gas Journal, World Oil, and Underground Infrastructure brands. With over 5 years of experience, she drives digital content strategy and operations for these industry-leading publications.
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