Across the country America’s natural gas utilities are committed to delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to over 73 million customers. Climate change is a defining challenge across the globe. America’s natural gas, natural gas utilities and delivery infrastructure are essential for meeting our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, which will achieve a cleaner energy future. The natural gas utility industry is committed to working with the counties it serves to build an energy future where affordability, reliability and safety go hand-in-hand with emissions reductions and a cleaner environment.

That future is coming to life in Somerset County, Maryland where county officials have been working for decades to bring natural gas to the area. With construction beginning in early 2020, the project was put into service in late 2021 bringing affordable, reliable natural gas to the residents of Somerset County for the first time. Previously, Somerset County had been one of only three counties without access to natural gas and is one of the poorest counties in the state. In advocating for the project, Somerset County Commission President Craig Mathies often stated, “Somerset County is not looking for a handout, only a hand.”

Most homes and businesses in Somerset County currently use propane gas, fuel oil or wood as heating fuel sources. The Somerset County Expansion Project is making natural gas available providing a cleaner, less expensive alternative and improving the county’s environmental profile.

The Somerset County Expansion Project will extend natural gas service to the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), a medium-security facility for men, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), a historically Black university with an enrollment of more than 4,100. ECI will reduce its onsite CO2 emissions by 65% annually and will reduce the amount of particulate matter that it emits by 99.5%. UMES will reduce its onsite CO2 emissions by 38%. These facilities will continue to see further emissions reductions as more and more renewable natural gas is incorporated into the local gas mix.

In addition to the environmental benefits, the project will serve as a powerful driver for economic development. According to Commission President Mathies, potential employers have historically been hesitant to locate in Somerset County due to its lack of natural gas service but they are now hearing renewed interest from potential businesses. The project will provide more than 1,300 construction jobs over the next decade and more than $7 million in new wages because of lower energy costs.

Working hand in hand with counties, America’s natural gas utilities are committed to pathways that utilize natural gas and the vast utility delivery infrastructure offering opportunities to incorporate renewable and low-carbon gases, provide optionality for stakeholders, help minimize customer impacts, maintain high reliability, improve overall energy system resilience and accelerate emissions reductions. Learn more here about how counties can achieve significant emissions reductions by accelerating the use of tools available today including renewable gases, methane reduction technologies and enhanced energy efficiency initiatives.