CU breaks ground on natural gas pipe replacement

The City of Springfield’s City Utilities hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday for Phase-1 of a project focused on replacing aged natural gas infrastructure.

Gary Gibson, President and CEO of City Utilities, spoke to a crowd of city and CU staff and guests gathered at Lafayette Park. He said the project was moving forward earlier than expected and without additional costs to CU customers thanks to a federal grant.

In 2023 CU was awarded a $10 million grant for the project from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, also known as PHMSA, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

That grant will pay for 12 miles of new natural gas pipes and infrastructure in Woodland Heights in Zone 1 on the northwest side of Springfield.

The city was also awarded a second grant earlier this year for $20 million to continue the project.

Zone 1 council member Monica Horton was on hand for the event, while she cautioned the public that the work may not be aesthetically pleasing while it gets done, she was excited to see progress in her corner of the city.

“I see infrastructure, natural gas, and so many other types of improvements that are coming to Zone 1 as a statement that Zone 1 is on the up and up, and” she added “Zone 1 there’s so much more to go.”

Shakira Mack, Director of PHMSA’s Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program, said this is a unique program targeting publicly owned gas utilities and underserved communities. Springfield was one of just 37 grant recipients.

“One of our big goals for this program was to select the projects that needed the money the most,” she explained. “So, but for this funding where would that system be, how likely would they be able to modernize their system with just their own funds?”

Mack said aged and cracked pipes leak methane which contributes to global warming as well as costing customers and putting them at risk. She said she’s proud of the program’s impact expediting projects for communities, creating jobs, and reducing pollution and costs for customers.