Vermont Gas Systems has announced that the company has filed a petition for a Certificate of Public Good for the Addison Natural Gas Project. The Addison Natural Gas Project will provide significant economic, environmental and reliability benefits to Vermont as well as advance Vermonts longer-term goal to extend service to the Rutland area.
We are very excited to propose a project to extend natural gas service to Addison County. This
project will bring to Addison 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. 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 Countys 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, Gilbert said.
This is a great time to be converting to natural gas service in Vermont, said Tim Lyons, Vice
President of Sales and Marketing with Vermont Gas. Natural gas is 43% less expensive than fuel
oil and 51% 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 awardwinning
Energy Efficiency Programs, Lyons said
Vermont Gas has been working over the last two years to develop the 43 mile project. Today, the
company has met a major milestone with the submission of the necessary plans, studies and
reports to support the filing. As proposed, the project route travels through 11 communities. It
follows existing right-of-ways 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. 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, said Gilbert.
The next step for the project is a thorough review of the proposed project by the Vermont Public
Service Board 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.
Interested communities and landowners can visit the project website at
www.addisonnaturalgas.com. The filing will be
posted on this website early next week.
Source: Vermont Gas Systems. 12.20.2012