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Enbridge says final public-service approval expected in March; construction could begin in April
Summary
Enbridge Gas told the Fairfield Town Council it expects state public-service approval 'sometime mid March' for a franchise agreement, and that if the approval is granted the company would begin trenching in April and could take about a year to connect households to natural gas.
Jesse Wilson, senior advisor for municipal and stakeholder affairs at Enbridge Gas, told the Fairfield Town Council the company expects final approval from the state public service commission 'sometime mid March.'
Wilson said that if the commission signs off, Enbridge would begin digging and placing distribution lines in April and 'it could probably take us about a year to get everybody completely hooked onto the system.' He described the work as following the company's Rural Outreach Program, which brings the distribution network to a customer's meter at no charge while in-home conversions from propane to natural gas would be the homeowner's responsibility.
Why it matters: The franchise would extend natural-gas service into Fairfield and nearby underserved communities, which the company said has spurred economic opportunities where it has been installed previously. Wilson cited past projects in Green River, Goshen and Portage as examples where service attracted businesses and jobs.
Council discussion and next steps: Council members asked about costs and engineering. Wilson said Enbridge has not finalized route engineering because it is waiting on regulatory approval; he asked the mayor and town attorney to review a draft franchise agreement that the company has provided. Chair (speaker 2) said the town's attorney already has the draft and suggested placing the franchise on the council agenda next month for formal consideration and potential signature.
Public-finance and resident impact: Wilson explained that the rural program's initial construction costs are spread across existing ratepayers under Enbridge's program rules, meaning customer meters would be extended to the property line at no cost to residents. He recommended homeowners budget for the internal conversion and said the company will have a right-of-way team begin property conversations soon.
What's next: The council agreed to have its attorney review Enbridge's franchise agreement and return the topic to the next meeting for possible action. If the public-service commission approves the application on the timeline Wilson outlined, physical work could start in April.
