This spring, the Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation, a subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation, broke ground on a project to extend more than 9 miles of new natural gas main into East Hampton, Connecticut.
Why stop there?
CNG is pleased to announce that, as of this week, gas is flowing to approximately 11
miles of newly constructed natural gas main in East Hampton, for the first time making the safe and environmentally friendly fuel an option for many East Hampton residents and businesses.
“When we started construction on this expansion project, we heard from a lot of residents and businesses located beyond the original route who were interested in receiving natural gas service. This helped spur our decision to extend the new main beyond the original project scope,” said James P. Torgerson, UIL’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to creating jobs, this project is bringing energy choice to East Hampton residents and will support economic development.”
The new gas main enters East Hampton at the Portland border and follows Route 66 eastward to Route 16, coming into the town center via Skinner Street. It then follows Main Street before re-connecting with Route 66 and extending northeast to serve the Laurel Ridge condominium association. Spurs extend from the town center along Main Street to the north and south.
Now that gas is flowing to the new main, CNG is in the process of installing service lines to nearly 150 customers who have signed up to receive natural gas service. Those include more than 100 homes as well as American Distilling, Inc., and nine East Hampton schools and municipal buildings. CNG continues to sign up new customers along the new main’s route, and expects next year to extend gas service nearly a mile farther up Route 66 to serve a housing development that’s under construction there.
The project is possible in large part thanks to Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy, which was proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and adopted in 2013. The strategy has facilitated natural gas expansion projects by lowering economic barriers they must clear in order to be considered economically viable without significant upfront contributions customers. The strategy seeks to convert a total of 280,000 new natural gas heating customers statewide by 2023, among other goals.
East Hampton is the second new natural gas franchise in as many years for a UIL-owned gas company. In 2014, CNG’s sister company, The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, introduced natural gas service in Essex, Connecticut. Looking toward another new franchise later this year, SCG is currently installing natural gas mains in Deep River, Connecticut.
Pipes and Poles 