Columbia Gas has received permission to install a 4.78-mile natural gas line, beginning at Watkins-California Road, between U.S. 42 and Derio Road, and end on Industrial Parkway near Veyance Technologies. (Photo submitted)
Columbia Gas has been given the green light to proceed with a plan to bring additional natural gas capacity to Marysville.
At a recent meeting, the Ohio Power Sitting Board unanimously approved a natural gas line, known as the Marysville Connector, to “provide natural gas service to new industry and residential development near the Project alignment and provide existing customers with an increased capacity for reliable natural gas service.”
The 4.78-mile line will begin at Watkins-California Road, between U.S. 42 and Derio Road, and end on Industrial Parkway near Veyance Technologies.
“We’ve worked tirelessly with local elected officials and community leaders the last several years on a plan to support the emergent needs of these communities,” said Vince Parisi, president and chief operating officer of Columbia Gas of Ohio in a statement. “This plan will serve these needs now and for years to come as growth and development continues.”
Union County Commissioner Chris Schmenk said local leaders are also “pleased that this is moving forward.”
Officials said the approval is a significant first step to addressing the long-term energy needs of the region.
Earlier this year, county officials asked the board to reject the proposal, saying they were not opposed to the plan, but believed it did not go far enough to help customers outside of Marysville.
At the time, Union County Administrator Tim Hansley said that while the Marysville Connector will likely meet the natural gas needs of customers in Marysville and Jerome and Milcreek townships, it will not meet the needs of customers outside that area.
Public and private entities in Union, Madison, Logan and Franklin counties created the Ohio Gas Access Partnership, Inc. (OGAP) to push for a different route that could meet more needs, but likely would be more expensive for Columbia Gas.
Michael J. Settineri, an attorney for OGAP said the project, “is not a long-term solution and if implemented will result in capital being diverted to build a pipeline that will not meet the needs of the region and will not be in the public interest.”
After the approval, Schmenk said the plan still does not help areas outside Marysville.
“At this point, there is still a gap there and we want to continue to work on that, but we are very happy that these steps are being made. It is definitely progress,” Schmenk said.
Columbia Gas officials said they studied the area and growth trends and determined regional growth would occur in the southeast corner of Union County. Officials said they designed the Marysville Connector to meet Union County’s future natural gas needs in, “the fastest-growing portion of Union County and the U.S. Route 33 Smart Corridor.”
Schmenk said increasing natural gas coverage in other parts of the region, “is still on our wish list of things we would like to see happen and we will continue this conversation.”
Columbia Gas officials have promised to create a plan to service other areas if and when their needs exceed capacity. As part of that, Columbia Gas has said that if they cannot service the area at that time, they will open it to competitors.
Schmenk said OGAP will continue to work for local communities. She said she hopes to have legislation introduced at the state house that would provide economic incentives for utility companies to build new infrastructure in areas that haven’t yet seen growth.
Schmenk explained that utilities do not want to build and pay for infrastructure unless there is guaranteed usage or a way to pass the costs on to existing customers until the new users come.
“Right now, neither of those exist,” Schmenk said.
Even so, the commissioner said there is an indirect advantage to the entire region. She said an ample and consistent utilities is “one of the first thing prospective businesses ask about… it’s one of the biggest ways to attract new companies, with new money, that create new jobs.”
Additionally, Schmenk said Columbia Gas has vowed to be “more transparent moving forward” with its plans as well as future capacity requests. Local officials had repeatedly expressed frustration with contacting and dealing with the natural gas supplier.
According to paperwork from the company, the gas line will need to cross public rights-of-way at Watkins-California Road, U.S. Route 33, Beecher Gamble Road, Adelsberger Road and Industrial Parkway.
Columbia Gas says it intends to begin the pipeline construction on Feb. 21, 2022, and have the project completed by the end of that year.