Nov. 29, 2016
HARRISBURG — Rep. Warren Kampf (R-Montgomery/Chester) attended the groundbreaking of PECO’s SMART Gas Line Extension Pilot program in a neighborhood within his legislative district. This neighborhood in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, worked with Kampf’s office and PECO to earn the opportunity to be a neighborhood pilot for the PECO Smart Natural Gas Conversion program. This project in Tredyffrin will be PECO’s largest of the pilot program.
Last year, PECO received approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) for a pilot program to reduce the cost of extending natural gas mains (gas service) to neighborhoods where natural gas currently is not available. Area residents in this section of Tredyffrin Township applied for the program, met the criteria to bring natural gas to their neighborhood and today broke ground for the project which is due to begin in December.
“Today is a step forward for natural gas consumers in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” Kampf said. “There is ample demand for natural gas, and the residents here worked together to make this happen, and I applaud all parties on the launch of this program in our district. Since 2011, I have been working with members of the community on getting natural gas service installed. I am just thrilled today to see this groundbreaking take place, knowing how hard everyone worked to make it happen.”
Kampf had previously introduced House Bill 2393 to require natural gas utilities to offer a program to extend natural gas distribution service to unserved and underserved areas. The proposal required each natural gas distribution company to enhance the affordability of natural gas line extensions to consumers, including on-bill financing options. His legislation served as a catalyst for the program that led to the groundbreaking for this community-based project.
In 2015, PECO unveiled a pilot program in which it would spend $4 million per year for three years to extend natural gas lines into underserved neighborhoods. PECO asked residents throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania to submit applications to gauge interest across their service area. PECO then worked with these neighborhoods to examine the demand and feasibility for each respective area.
“This project we break ground on today would not be possible without PECO and the PUC, and I would specifically like to thank them for their commitment to help bring this program to my constituents,” Kampf said. “I would be remiss not to mention by name Mindy Taylor, who is the community leader who pushed me, PECO, the PUC and her neighborhood to make sure this area was included as part of the program.
“Today is a good day in my legislative district, and I could not be happier to see this program start here,” Kampf concluded.
PECO is scheduled to begin construction on Dec. 1 along West Valley Road and continue through March 2017.
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Rep. Warren Kampf helps break ground on PECO’s
SMART gas line extension pilot program. |
Representative Warren Kampf
157th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
dfoster@pahousegop.com
RepKampf.com / Facebook.com/RepKampf