Delmarva likely to see its largest natural gas pipeline expansion
Eastern Shore Natural Gas is on its way to make company history.
"This is the biggest, the $99 million expansion project for Eastern Shore, is the single largest expansion project we have ever done," explains Tietbohl.
Jeffrey Tietbohl is the vice president for Eastern Shore Natural Gas and he says this isn't just a win for them but local residents too.
"Through a residents' perspective our expansions and that of our customers they will have access to a lower cost fuel supply."
He tells 47 ABC this project, known as the 2017 Expansion Project began in 2014 due to heightened demands from its customers, which are the local distribution companies like Delmarva Power and Sandpiper, who pass the product on to you.
"When they look at their market demand, they say, 'we need to add capacity or we need to add supply to more residential load' they'll come to us to see if the pipeline has the ability to supply it," says Tietbohl.
Eastern Shore Natural Gas came up with this 33 mile expansion to their already existing pipelines that start in the southern part of Pennsylvania and end near Berlin, Maryland.
The biggest expansion is right in the heart of Sussex County.
"We're adding a 17 mile connector between Seaford, Delaware and Millsboro, Delaware, which will essentially connect two of our pipelines down in Sussex County, based on the market demand and the needs in that area," says Tietbowl.
Tietbohl tells us, during open houses this summer, there was overwhelming positive support, but its not approved just yet.
They still have to receive the stamp of approval from the the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
"What will happen now is FERC will now start taking, they'll start preparing the environmental assessment of the project facilities, where they're placed and the dynamics of that process."
If all goes well, they hope for approval by May of this year and construction completed by the end of 2017, with residents lowered prices soon after.
Tietbohl also adds that they are accepting questions or concerns regarding the proposed expansion from residents until February 1st.
He says, the 2017 Expansion Project isn't the only project Eastern Shore Natural Gas is currently working on here on Delmarva.
Right now, the company is in the process of completing two other projects on the Delmarva Peninsula that have totaled about $70 million.
These projects are also in the works for additional pipelines in the First State with one focusing on the city of Dover's electric plant and the other involving all three counties.
"The one project we're actually in the process of constructing is a System Reliability Project that will add additional pipeline infrastructure in New Castle County, Kent, and Sussex County, Delaware to basically add additional reliability to the system," explains Tietbohl.
Pietbohl hopes these projects will better fit the needs of Delawareans' natural gas supply and better suit other local distribution companies for lowered costs.
