YORK COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – York County Natural Gas Authority is receiving more than $5.5 million to replace piping that’s been in the ground since the 1960’s.
Those millions coming from the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program, Which York County Natural Gas says it’ll be using to cover Phase One of a project happening in the Town of Blacksburg.
It’s all being done in an effort to upgrade 13 total miles of natural gas piping to mitigate leaks and other issues, which project officials say will provide the entire town with a more reliable and safe source of natural gas.
Now for all the York County residents wondering how this helps you, Jeff Deason with York County Natural Gas says it actually helps in keeping your cost lower than it would be otherwise.
“Whenever we do renewal and expansion projects, we build that into our rate base, so we have to fund that with current dollars, or go borrow funds, especially on a project this size,” Deason said. “So instead of having to use dollars generated from gas sales that our customers are paying for, this money will go to fund that project and we won’t have to go borrow the money or put it into our rates to be able to pay for that over the course of years.”
York County Natural gas does say it’s already spent more than $3 million on this pipe replacement, but adds the grant money will make finishing Phase one much easier.
Project officials expect the pipeline will take nearly two years to complete, adding during that time they will continue looking for grant opportunities that make rates cheaper for all of their customers.
