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August 3, 2012

Augusta opts out of pipeline dispute

Augusta won't be intervening in the legal dispute between two companies seeking to build a natural gas pipeline into the capital city after all.

After debating Thursday night the city manager's proposal for the city to file as an intervenor, the Augusta City Council decided to sit on the sidelines and not join Summit Natural Gas' appeal of the state's selection of rival Maine Natural Gas to build a pipeline from Windsor to state property in Augusta. According to the Kennebec Journal, the state is scheduled to consider Summit's appeal Aug. 14 and 15.

Officials from both Maine Natural Gas and Maine Energy Development Group, representing Summit, spoke at Thursday's meeting, the newspaper reported.

Maine Natural Gas proposed a $19.3 million project creating 46 jobs focused mainly on providing natural gas to state buildings in the Augusta area and expanding farther north only if there's sufficient demand to justify expansion costs, reported the paper. Summit's proposed investment totals over $150 million, with service to 15,000 customers within three years and 435 jobs created.

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