Overton County Commissioners got an update on a proposed natural gas pipeline expansion Monday night.
Enridge Gas Stakeholder Relations Manager Art Haskins said that the project would supply energy to TVA. He said that should the project move forward, it would run about 11.4 miles in Overton and affect about 78 landowners.
“The biggest impact will be the area’s impact for the actual construction during the year of construction,” Haskins said. “And then the restoration that occurs after that. There will be lots of workers in the area and lots of moving through that area to line out of a pipe and driving the pipe and welding it up.”
Haskins said the proposed project has entered the federal regulatory phase. He said that because it’s a multi-state project, it requires approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The commission regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in interstate commerce.
Haskins said that only about three to five percent of affected Overton landowners have responded negatively to the proposal. He said that the line would run parallel to the existing pipeline and largely within the current easement, spanning Trousdale, Smith, Jackson, Putnam, Overton, Fentress, Morgan, and Roane Counties.
“It’s a brand-new 30-inch pipeline adjacent to our existing one following the normal right of way for as much as possible,” Haskins said. “(…) We’re still designing the route, we’re still proposing locations and alternatives. We have done our initial survey, and environmental survey, and we’ll have our open house meetings in June.”
County Executive Ben Danner said that should the project come to fruition, it could be a good opportunity for Overton County.
“Having added gas capacity, it’s going towards East Tennessee so maybe it could help here,” Danner said. “You know here in the county, of course the city delivers all the gas to everything in the city and the county too. So this pipeline will be extra capacity so in the future, if more industries come here, it could help.”
Haskins said the project came about to serve as an option for TVA it is currently considering replacing the Kingston Fossil Plant.
Haskins said that pending a positive final investment decision and the approval and receipt of all necessary permits, construction would begin in 2025 with a target in-service date of fall 2026
The post Overton Commission Receives Update On Pipeline Expansion Project Opportunity appeared first on News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.