It has occurred to me that a lot of folks in Monkton are not aware of what is going on with the gas company (Vermont Gas) and the building of distribution lines in town. Here is a bit about what is going on and I will try to post something every day as we lead up to Town Meeting. There will be discussion about this at Town Meeting and there is also an informational dinner before the next public hearing on the gate station in Monkton. It is at the Monkton Friends Methodist Church on March 1 at 5 pm. At 6 pm, Vermont Gas will be at the fire station to take questions and provide information. At 7pm, a hearing officer from the PUC will conduct a public hearing so you can tell the PUC what you think. The hearing officer will not answer questions, but you can submit oral or written comments to him.-
The Public Utility Commission (PUC formerly the Public Service Board) has opened a case to decide whether a gate station, or “pressure regulation station”, Vermont Gas is proposing to build in Monkton is in the “public good”. If the PUC decides to grant a “certificate of public good”(CPG) for the proposed gate station, VGS will build it and then subsequently build the gas distribution line around the pond.
In case you are wondering why this process is happening or is necessary....
When VGS petitioned the PSB for a CPG for the gas transmission line, they did not include a gate station in Monkton. Apparently they don’t need a CPG to build distribution lines, only gate stations and transmission pipelines.
So that is what is going on now at the PUC.
Please feel free to contact Nate or Jane if you have questions.
Call evenings 453-6467
The “pressure regulation station” or gate station that Vermont Gas is proposing to build off of Hollow Road was negotiated by our select board about five years ago. Originally, the gas company had planned to run its transmission line through Monkton (and other towns) without offering gas distribution to any of the towns along the way except for Vergennes and Middlebury. Our select board worked with the town attorney to sign a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) with Vermont Gas that required VGS to make a reasonable effort to offer gas to Monkton. This MOU, (along with other MOU’s with other towns), was incorporated into the Certificate of Public Good (CPG) the Public Utilities Commission or PUC, (formerly the Public Service Board), ordered when it approved the pipeline project. The CPG is the final order of the PUC, and it is the document that among other things, permits land to be taken by eminent domain. So now the gas company is obligated to apply for a CPG to build the gate station as stipulated in the Monkton MOU.
However, many terms of the CPG have been changed by VGS since its approval in December of 2013. So if the Monkton Select Board were to agree, Vermont Gas could skip building the gate station entirely. Whether or not there would be compensation for not building it would be up for negotiation.
Vermont Gas has estimated the cost of building the gate station to be approximately $650,000. Installing the distribution line around the pond is estimated to be another $950,000. So the cost to provide gas service to Monkton is approximately $1.6 million.(according to Vermont Gas) As of the last public hearing on the gate station, when I asked if Vermont Gas had done a survey of the proposed route through Monkton to see how many folks would be interested in converting to burning “natural” gas, they said no. So as of this time, no one has any idea how many residences would be hooking up to gas if it were offered. The gas company also said the cost of the new infrastructure would be paid by the ratepayers. It is important for anyone interested in converting their heating plants to burn “natural” gas to get an estimate from Vermont Gas so they can make an educated financial decision. Every home is different and even homes currently burning propane may have serious costs to hook up and convert. Without an estimate from VGS, you won’t be able to compare the costs to other heating options.
On Thursday, March 1, at 5 pm, there will be a community supper and information session at the Monkton Friends Methodist Church. At 6 pm at the Firehouse, Vermont Gas will answer questions about the proposed gate station and then, at 7 pm, a hearing officer from the PUC will conduct a public hearing so you can make comments to the PUC about the project. The hearing officer will not answer questions but you can submit written or oral comments. Although it will be a long night, I hope lots of folks will attend so that comments can be made using all the information available.
If anyone has questions, they can call Nate or Jane (evenings) at 453-6467
Oct 12, 2024, 9 AM
Planning Commission MeetingOct 15, 2024, 6 to 8 PM
Bluegrass for a Cause: Benefit Concert for Common GroundOct 17, 2024, 7 to 9 PM