Unitil Completes Natural Gas System Upgrades In Downtown Portland, Westbrook

Unitil, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, has completed its System Upgrade for Reliable Energy (SURE) project in Westbrook and downtown Portland. The Unitil SURE project is modernizing the region's gas infrastructure, making it more reliable and better able to meet the growing demand for natural gas in Maine.

 

This summer, more than seven miles of cast iron pipe in downtown Portland and Westbrook—some more than 100 years old—were replaced with state-of-the art, high-density plastic pipe. By replacing older cast iron pipes with plastic, Unitil has assured that downtown Portland and Westbrook have natural gas infrastructure equipped to meet the growing gas needs of the local economy.

 

In three years, Unitil has upgraded more than 11 miles of pipe in the region and has installed more than 17 miles of plastic pipe in total. The 14-year project, involving more than 100 miles of pipeline—is now considered 28 percent complete. Unitil’s SURE project construction in the greater Portland area is expected to begin again in summer 2014.

 

“Thanks to the support of the cities of Portland and Westbrook, we were able to complete SURE project construction safely, efficiently and on schedule,” said Matt Doughty, SURE project manager, Unitil. “We’re grateful to the residents and businesses in our local community for their cooperation and understanding during construction this year.”

 

Natural gas is a safe, economical energy source that is better for the environment and less expensive than oil. Customers and businesses interested in switching to natural gas should visit www.unitil.com/switch and use the "Gas Availability Tool" to learn if they might be eligible.

 

Unitil is focused on the safety of its customers and encourages natural gas customers to be aware of steps they can take to keep their property and loved ones safe. For comprehensive safety information, including gas emergency tips, please visit www.unitil.com/gassafety.