KAWARTHA LAKES-76 year old Bill Vann has lived in Bobcaygeon since 2011. He says he currently pays anywhere from $2100 to $2300 a year for propane to heat his home. Vann is excited about the prospect of natural gas coming to the area. “Based on the scale here we would save about $500 a year.”
Vann was one of a number of local residents who came out to a public information session held by Enbridge Gas in Bobcaygeon on Wednesday night. The purpose was to consult with the public on it’s plans for a proposed new natural gas pipeline leading into Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls.
City of Kawartha Lakes council voted to support the initiative in June and also agreed to provide about $3 million dollars over ten years by deferring taxes that the company would otherwise pay. The 65 million dollar project needs approval from the energy board before it can go ahead. “The energy board looks at a feasibility study so they need to look at what a project costs and what we can expect to be able to recoup in terms of rates,” Tanya Bruckmueller, Manager of External Communications for Enbridge told Kawartha 411. Â She says the energy board is also tasked with managing costs across the board not just for new communities.
The company tried to bring natural gas to the area in 2005 but was denied approval by the energy board. Bruckmueller says they are confident the outcome will be different this time around. “Things have changed significantly since then, there’s obvious growth herein the community, there’s a number of new residences and new businesses as well as the government process and calculations have changed and that will make it successful this time”
There’s also some new funding available from the Provincial Government. Ontario is providing $100 million through the Natural Gas Grant program, $70 million of which is earmarked for under serviced communities such as Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls.
Some residents who live between these communities are concerned that they are being left out of the plans. “If we are going to bring it here you should service everybody” said Susan Jewell. Jewell lives just outside Lindsay and she is worried some people are going to be uprooted by construction of the pipeline and not get any benefit from it.
The plan is to bring the lines from Cowan’s Bay along County Road 17 and into Bobcaygeon. That means 195 km of additional natural gas line could be laid, 75 km in Fenelon and 125 in Bobcaygeon servicing 5700 homes.
Enbridge has until July 31st to apply for the government grants. It is projected that construction will begin in Fenelon Falls in the spring of 2018 with customers coming online in the fall. Bobcaygeon will follow in 2019.
Officials say natural gas could save the average homeowner more than $800 a year.
