Western Maine natural gas line delayed
Summit Natural Gas has reportedly delayed its natural gas line proposed from Jay to Farmington and Livermore Falls until at least 2016.
The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Summit's natural gas line in western and central Maine was previously expected by the end of this year.
But the natural gas line is facing delays, Farmington Town Manager Richard Davis said, for multiple reasons: Summit is still waiting on the University of Maine Farmington to sign up as an anchor customer; the company is juggling other projects and dealing with questions about local demand and supply; and an interconnection issue with a gas line in Jay.
The town of Farmington is grappling with whether to move forward with a road maintenance project in 2016 and then finish any work after the gas line is finally installed, or delay road maintenance until after the gas line is installed — forfeiting the town a chance to have the Maine Department of Transportation cover maintenance costs.
Farmington Selectman Michael Fogg said he would rather have DOT work on the road sooner. But Selectmen Chair Ryan Morgan suggested that delaying the gas line could mean losing out on economic development opportunities. He said a factory that was looking to move to Farmington eventually decided to move to Oxford because of its gas line.
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