Elizabethtown Gas proposes a big overhaul of its distribution system, parts of which are more than a century old
Credit: PSE&G
Tom Johnson reports
for NJ Spotlight:
for NJ Spotlight:
Elizabethtown Gas yesterday filed a proposal to spend $518 million over the next five years to replace more than 309 miles of gas mains and to make other investments in its system
The filing with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is the latest by utilities in the state, which have ramped up capital spending to modernize an aging gas distribution system at a time when gas prices have dropped considerably in the past decade, cushioning the impact of those expenditures on customers.
The proposed program includes replacing vintage cast-iron and bare steel mains and services as well as iron, copper and dated plastic mains, some of which are more than 100 years old, according to the utility.
“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 of Elizabethtown, which was acquired by South Jersey Industries in a deal completed this past July.
