Two major energy companies want to build a second natural gas pipeline into North Carolina.
Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are soliciting proposals for a pipeline that could carry 900 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Duke is shifting a significant portion of its energy portfolio from coal into natural gas. Piedmont transports gas for both companies via the Transco line from the Texas gulf.
Piedmont spokesman David Trusty said production was interrupted after Hurricane Katrina. He says the companies want to be able to diversify their natural gas sources.
“We look at it, too, from the standpoint of being able to provide capacity to help us serve our growing markets,” Trusty said. “One of the benefits is also serving as a means to encourage economic development.”
Trusty didn't offer specifics about the project.
“We're at a stage where we're very, very early, just having sent out the proposals. So, in truth, we won't know, until we start getting those proposals back, where the point of origin is, where any interconnections would be, or what the exact route would be,” he said. “We expect to make the selection toward the end of this year.”
Duke Energy Spokesman Tom Williams says it's also unclear how ownership of the pipeline would be handled. He said Duke is considering a similar pipeline project in Florida.
