Cost recovery program begins to benefit state
MARTINSBURG—The West Virginia governor’s office and economic development groups from the Eastern Panhandle wanted to bring more natural gas to an underserved area of West Virginia. With the recent approval of a gas infrastructure and replacement plan by the state’s Public Service Commission, that will happen.
Moses Skaff, senior vice president of Mountaineer Gas, told American Gas that the decision will be a boon for the Panhandle area around Martinsburg.
“This is a game changer, quite frankly, for the Eastern Panhandle from an economic viewpoint,” he said. “And the Mountaineer Gas Infrastructure Replacement and Expansion Plan is a game changer on how we can provide additional services throughout the area.”
The plan helps the utility recover some of the initial costs of projects to replace, upgrade and expand natural gas distribution service throughout the state that are deemed just and reasonable and in the public’s interest.
Skaff said the project was conceived about 2½ years ago when the Governor’s Economic Development Office and the Eastern Panhandle Economic Development Groups were seeking ways to bring more industry to that area. Several companies had expressed interest in locating there but did not because it lacked a natural gas infrastructure, Skaff said. Mountaineer Gas worked closely with state and local elected officials, businesses and economic development groups.
The first stage of the project, scheduled to be complete in late 2018, will bring a natural gas distribution supply line south from an existing system north of Martinsburg to north of Berkeley Springs, in Morgan County. Segments two and three are planned for future expansion into Jefferson and Berkeley counties and will require additional PSC approval.
A large Proctor & Gamble plant being built in the Martinsburg area may take most of the existing natural gas supply currently available, Skaff said. The additional line will allow for more customers and will provide redundant service with lines coming from two directions.
Mountaineer Gas is the largest natural gas distribution company in West Virginia, serving more than 220,000 customers.