
Brunswick-based Maine Natural Gas said it finished laying pipeline to deliver natural gas to dozens of new customers downtown.
Enterprise Trenchless Technologies Inc., of Lisbon, built the 1.1-mile pipeline in 39 days, Maine Natural Gas Vice President Darrel R. Quimby said in a news release.
The project was timed to minimize traffic disruptions during the busy summer tourist season and to be completed by the beginning of heating season.
Quimby said Maine Natural Gas — a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, which also owns Central Maine Power Co. — signed up 30 new downtown customers to begin natural gas service this fall, including Bath City Hall, the Elks lodge, Beale Street BBQ, Brackett’s Market and the Hampton Inn. They join existing “anchor” MNG customers Bath Iron Works and Hyde School.
“Maine Natural Gas was great to work with,” Bath City Manager William Giroux said. “They got this done quickly and with minimal disturbance to our downtown business district. We expect to save on the
We expect to save on the heating bill at City Hall this year and in the future, which will benefit all our tax payers. Having natural gas available for businesses in downtown Bath is definitely an advantage for us, and could help attract new and retain existing businesses in downtown.”
MNG said it will continue to expand its coverage in Bath, and expects to add more customers in 2014.
The expansion of natural gas infrastructure in the Mid-coast comes as the Le- Page administration has made reducing energy costs a top priority.
MNG also built a 10.5-mile natural gas system for the Augusta area that taps the Maritimes and Northeast transmission pipeline in Windsor, travels west along Route 17, crosses the Kennebec River, then on to the new MaineGeneral hospital.
“ETTI led the recent Maine Natural Gas expansions in Freeport and Bath and we’re proud to join them in expanding access to affordable natural gas to the people of Maine and boosting the Maine economy,” ETTI President Scott W. Kelly said.
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