DOVER, Del. — Chesapeake Utilities Corp. announced Friday that it is exploring natural gas service to Worcester County as a result of increasing community interest.
“The people of Worcester County are asking for clean burning natural gas now because of its cost relative to alternative fuels, as well as its environmentally friendly features,” said Stephen C. Thompson, senior vice president of Chesapeake.
“We are currently assessing the economic viability of expanding our pipeline and distribution infrastructures. If deemed economically viable and pending any required regulatory approvals and franchise agreements, natural gas could be available in northern Worcester County by the end of 2011,” Thompson added.
An extension of the company’s natural gas transmission pipeline would provide the foundation for expansion of a natural gas distribution network in the county. Chesapeake and its transmission pipeline subsidiary have a long history of providing safe, reliable service on the Delmarva Peninsula. “The company is excited about the opportunity to provide the residents and businesses in Worcester County with a new energy alternative,” noted Thompson.
Chesapeake Utilities is one of the fastest growing natural gas distribution utilities in the country and, along with its pipeline subsidiary, has been expanding natural gas from northern Delaware down Route 113 into southeastern Sussex County, Del., over the last 10 years.
As part of a proposed 2011 pipeline expansion project, natural gas would be available in the towns of Dagsboro, Frankford, and Selbyville, Del., assuming all of the necessary governmental approvals are granted. Natural gas service would be available to customers in close proximity to the pipeline and distribution systems. In the future, these systems could be expanded as customer demand for natural gas grows.
Over the last decade, the delivery capacity of the company’s natural gas transmission pipeline has increased by about 120 percent. Chesapeake Utilities’ natural gas distribution division has also introduced natural gas service to the Sussex County communities of Milford, Milton, Georgetown, Harbeson and Millsboro, Del. The Company’s recent transmission and distribution systems’ expansions lay the groundwork for future system expansions in these communities as customer demand grows.
Natural gas supplies nearly one-fourth (24 percent) of all energy used in the United States and is a highly reliable, domestic energy source serving over 64 million residential customers and over five million commercial enterprises in the United States. Natural gas is the cleanest fuel readily available on the market today.
It is far more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly than other alternative sources when used in the home for heating and cooking. The direct use of natural gas can help the United States reach its carbon reduction goals; and its abundance as a domestic resource means that our country has enough natural gas to last more than a century, making it the clean energy to meet tomorrow’s needs.