About Us >
Press Room >
2018 >
Elizabethtown Gas Company Proposes Five-Year Infrastructure Investment Program
Newsroom
Elizabethtown Gas Company Proposes Five-Year Infrastructure Investment Program
UNION, N.J. – Oct. 31, 2018 – Elizabethtown Gas Company, a subsidiary of SJI(NYSE:SJI),filed a proposal with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to implement a $518 million, five-year infrastructure investment program(IIP)to replace and retire approximately 309 miles of main and replace approximately 41,000 services. The proposed IIP includes replacing vintage cast iron and bare steel mains and services, as well as ductile iron, copper and vintage plastic mains and services, some of which are more than 100 years old. The proposed IIP will also upgrade low-pressure systems to elevated pressure, accommodating high-efficiency appliances and newer technologies such as natural gas generators. The proposed IIP also includes the installation of excess flow valves and house regulators on each service line, further reinforcing the safety of our system.
"We are committed to providing our 292,000 customers with safe, reliable, affordable natural gas service, and the modernization of our infrastructure reinforces that commitment," said Brian MacLean, President, Elizabethtown Gas Company. "The proposed IIP enhances our long-term system reliability and ensures that we safely meet our customers' growing needs well into the future."
In addition to providing increased reliability and safety, the proposed IIP will support approximately 650 full-time jobs per year, according to a Rutgers University Study. Another benefit of the proposal will be the reduction of methane emissions. Customers will not be impacted by an immediate rate change, as a result of this program.
Over the last decade, in partnership with the NJBPU, Elizabethtown Gas Company has safely replaced infrastructure at an unprecedented rate, investing more than $560M in its system. To date, Elizabethtown Gas Company replaced 460 miles of main and renewed 45,000 services. With this approved IIP, over the next five years and beyond, the utility expects to complete the replacement of all bare steel and cast-iron mains within its system.
###