Enbridge outlines long-term Utah gas plan, targets older mains for replacement and allocates $25M in 2026

Enbridge presented its long-term system planning and modernization program during a Utah Public Service Commission technical conference, describing projected peak-day growth, coordination with upstream pipeline partners and a multi-year effort to replace aging plastic distribution mains.

An Enbridge presenter said the company uses a hydraulic model and yearly coordination with Mountain West Pipeline to set design-day (peak) projections and that large power-generation accounts and data centers can have outsized impacts on peak-day demand. "They're needle movers," the presenter said when describing the effect of large customers on design-day growth.

Why it matters: the presentation tied system upgrades to expected population and industrial growth along the Wasatch Front and to contingency planning with upstream transmission partners. Enbridge said it is examining a long-term higher-pressure "720 corridor" that would let operators shift feed between gate stations and better serve the Hiram-to-Payson corridor, while acknowledging that the corridor is a multi-year to multi-decade horizon project and that individual segments would be placed into higher-pressure service only after related regulator stations and ancillary work are completed.

On system modernization, Enbridge described a focused replacement effort for older generation plastic mains installed in the late 1960s through the mid-1980s, noting those early generations had lower crack-growth resistance and that a manufacturing defect affected some second-generation pipe in the early 1970s. The presenter said the company's GIS records show some related plastic-main installations as late as 1999 but emphasized multiple generations and manufacturing vintages are involved.

"We're currently this year in 2026, we've allocated about $25,000,000 just specifically for this system modernization effort on replacing" older plastic mains, the presenter said. Company staff said they expect that amount to increase in subsequent years and that exact replacement timelines depend on funding and prioritization from a risk model.

Safety and detection: Enbridge said 100% of its system is odorized and explained that odorant can be stripped from gas as it passes through certain soils, reducing detectability at distance. The company described immediate post-incident odorant-level checks at adjacent service lines and said gas at meter sets was detectable. Enbridge also said it is working with partners, including the American Red Cross in South Jordan, and is considering including methane-detection information in customer safety communications; presenters noted combination CO/methane detectors are commercially available for roughly $50–$55 retail.

What was not decided: the presentation did not include formal votes or regulatory actions. The public portion concluded with an announcement that the meeting would move into a confidential technical session for material reserved from public discussion.

Who said it: the presentation and most technical answers were given by an Enbridge presenter (identified in the transcript as Bradley Ortiz). Other named participants in the public portion included Enbridge staff who identified themselves as Austin Summers, Dave Landward and Brent Staley; representatives of the division and the Office of Consumer Services participated in questioning and discussion.

Next steps: Enbridge indicated near-term projects such as a Saratoga gate upgrade to increase flow capability into Utah County and continued coordination with upstream partners on gate-station and compression needs. The transcript closed the public session and moved to the confidential portion for material the company said should be discussed privately.