SOUTH BURLINGTON —Vermont Gas Systems on Dec. 20 announced that the company has filed with the Public Services Board (PSB) a petition for a Certificate of Public Good for the Addison Natural Gas Project.
The company said this natural gas pipeline, if permitted and built, would provide significant economic, environmental and reliability benefits to Vermont as well as advance Vermont’s longer-term goal to extend service to the Rutland area.
“This project will bring to Addison County the same economic and environmental benefits that have been enjoyed in Chittenden and Franklin counties for years,” said Don Gilbert, president and CEO of Vermont Gas, in a press release. “Over 3,000 homes and businesses in Addison County will save $1,500 to $1,900 per year by switching to natural gas. In total the project will reduce Addison County’s energy bills by over $200 million over the next 20 years and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 300,000 tons over that same period.”
According to Tim Lyons, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Vermont Gas, natural gas is 43 percent less expensive than fuel oil and 51 percent less than propane.
“As we have learned from our recent expansions to communities in Chittenden County, Vermonters want natural gas service. Not only will they save money by heating their homes with natural gas, they will no longer have to make large up-front payments for their heating fuel each year and will be able to take advantage of Vermont Gas’ award-winning energy efficiency programs,” Lyons said.
Vermont Gas has been working over the last two years to develop the 43-mile pipeline. The company met a major milestone with the submission of the necessary plans, studies and reports to support the PSB filing. As proposed, the project route travels through 11 communities. It follows existing rights-of-way along the path proposed in the past for the Circumferential Highway and then a series of utility and public road corridors to Middlebury and Vergennes.
“Overall the project to expand natural gas service to Addison County has the support of the towns and communities along the route. However, we are aware there are some concerns with a section proposed to follow public rights-of-way along roads in portions of Hinesburg and Monkton,” Gilbert said. “Vermont Gas has committed to work with those concerned and the various permitting agencies that ultimately approve the routing to explore alternatives and refine the route as appropriate and allowable.”
The next step for the project is a thorough review of the proposed project by the Vermont PSB and other state and federal regulators. If approved on the schedule proposed, the Addison Natural Gas Project will bring service to Middlebury and Vergennes in 2014 and 2015 and will enable future expansion to other Addison County communities such as Bristol, company officials said.
Interested communities and landowners can visit the project website at www.addisonnaturalgas.com or call (802) 951-0399 for more information. The filing is posted on the website.