HALLOWELL, Maine — Bangor Gas Co. believes a seven-mile pipeline that would bring methane gas from Juniper Ridge Landfill to the University of Maine in Orono would hurt its ratepayers and lead to the “degradation of our franchise,” a company attorney said Wednesday.
EcoGas LLC, a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems Inc., will sit down with representatives of Bangor Gas to hash out disagreements over the proposed pipeline.
During an initial case conference with the Maine Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday, Bangor Gas was one of six entities to file a petition to intervene as parties during the PUC’s consideration of the project.
The 12-inch-diameter, high-density polyethylene pipeline system would move methane gas from the Old Town landfill to UMaine’s Steam Plant, where it would be used to run boilers and create energy and heat for campus buildings.
Bangor Gas provides gas service to communities in Greater Bangor, including the University of Maine, and “is and will be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the petition of EcoGas LLC,” according to the company’s petition to intervene.
The Bangor Gas petition argues that the pipeline proposal is “unlawful, unfair … and will result in harm to [Bangor Gas] and its customers.”
Bangor Gas attorney Alan Stone said the pipeline would hurt the company’s ratepayers and the company as a whole. He asked the PUC to be slow and cautious in considering the EcoGas proposal.
Stone also questioned the long-term integrity of pipelines that carry landfill methane gas.
“It’s new, it’s interesting, it raises challenging issues,” Stone said.
Jeffrey Thaler of the University of Maine School of Law said the campus has been careful in developing the plan during several years of work with Casella.
“The university has done its research,” Thayer said during the meeting. “This is not such a novel enterprise, especially for state universities.”
The University of New Hampshire has a similar agreement that brings landfill gas from a New Hampshire landfill to supply the campus with fuel, he said.
As of now, methane gas produced by decomposition in the landfill is burned off. Casella and UMaine representatives have called that a waste, arguing that a pipeline would allow the university to benefit from the energy the landfill produces.
Carol MacLennan, the PUC staff attorney who moderated the meeting, advised Bangor Gas and EcoGas representatives to sit down to discuss the concerns associated with the project and come back to the PUC with a report on May 21.
The city of Old Town; UMaine; Maine Natural Gas, another natural gas supplier; Paul Schroeder of Orono, representing a group of residents concerned with Maine waste management policies and the operation of Casella; and the Maine Public Advocate Office, which represents Maine utility consumers in any matter that is under the authority of the PUC, also filed intervention petitions.
The petitions mostly argued that the entities have a vested interest in the PUC proceedings and that representatives of those groups wanted to be involved and up to date on discussions related to the project.
The gas pipeline would run south to Route 43 before turning east on Route 43 to the intersection with the College Avenue Extension, where it would continue on to the Steam Plant. Casella expects the project will cost between $11 million and $13.5 million to design, build and permit.
The university and Casella reached a deal in November 2011 after about three years of discussion.
Casella hopes to complete the permitting process for the project by Dec. 31 so it can begin construction by March 2013, according to the petition. The pipeline could be ready to send gas to UMaine by the winter of 2013-14.
Sounds like someone is afraid of some competition…
Yea and from the article it sounds like they will try to get it so wound up in law suits it will never go forward. Very sad. I am glad I don’t have to deal with Bangor Gas.
Amazing, they would rather have them burn the free fuel off into the air then us it at UMO. Maybe tuition could stop rising from the savings.
No, the higher ups will get raises…
Law n Disorder..exactly..very unwise and unsavory for Bangor Gas to take this ridiculous position. Of course it serves the public innterests to have U Maine use the methane from the land fill instead of venting it into the air..
Just an fyi, the system already froze tuition for next year at a meeting back in January.
I dislike Bangor Gas as well. I installed a gas furnace at my home in Brewer three years ago. My energy costs are now 40% of what they were with oil heat. You should really be glad that you don’t have to deal with that frustration.
God bless Capitalism.
Capitalism??? This is one of those government regulations that causes prices to go up.
I think based on your previous posts, I agree with you 99% of the time, but this time I must disagree. In my basic view of this, Bangor Gas is trying to tie this whole thing up with silly lawsuits driven by fear mongering that cost taxpayers money because they can’t provide UMO with a better price than Casella. “Big Brother” aint no friend of mine, but I’m not quite sure where the government regulation is if you let the chips fall as they may?
I’m not saying that there isn’t more layers to this onion (I’m sure there is!) just giving my two cents based on what I see in this article. I have no dog in this fight.
Oh, we agree on this, Bangor Gas is wrong but the problem is that the Government allows them to tie this up in court because the EPA allows for people to stop progress with ridiculous opposition.
This is not capitalism. In capitalism, no individual can be allowed to initiate physical force on another individual. Bangor Gas seems to be trying use the MPUC to allow the company to act as a monopoly. In capitalism no company can rightfully force another to cease its production, simply because it creates competition. What moral right does Bangor Gas have?
I hope U Maine, with strong support from attorney general, governor and all legislators lets the gas company know in no uncertain terms that Mainers will not stand for this. If we all focus on it we can force the gas compay to not interfere with this in any way at all.
And also isn’t this a wrong to all Bangor area gas customers..people seeking a monopoly aren’t well known for good service and fair pricing for their customers. All gas company customers should join in censuring the gas company on this.
As soon as I get home tonight I’ll be sure to disconnect my three year old gas furnace from those awful people at Bangor Gas. After saving 60% on my heating bills I think I’ll get involved once again with those nice poeple in the heating oil business who don’t have a monopoly over us.
westshores..only suggesting that users let the company know how they feel about opposing this U Maine methane pipeline…andof course..only if you oppose..maybe you think it’s a good idea for Bangor Gas to oppose it?
I don’t think many, if any Bangor Gas customers would be opposed to a position tthat BG might hold. They have made massive investments in infrastructure and pipelines in our area saving families and businesses thousands of dollars. Who will the Universtity turn to when the methane runs out?
If that is so, westshores, I sure hope Bangor Gas turns out to be worthy of that customer support and loyalty.
I don’t think the PUC will let BG lose our trust. How many of these people making negative comments about BG were beating on Casella over the years?
If we are going to exploit alternative power opportunities this is a no-brainer and established energy companies such as Bangor Hydro and Bangor Gas should not have special protections.
Perhaps, but there is an installed capital commitment in the plan approved by the commission and it will have to be supported. If UMO wants to commit to a huge installation fee for the line, perhaps it could be done by Bangor Gas.
The installation fee would be covered in the deal worked out between Casella and UMaine, which is why it needs to be based on a 20 year term. Bangor Gas could never commit to a 20 year pricing deal because its pricing is subject to national and international market fluctuations and natural gas prices are sure to go up. The landfill methane costs are known and can be projected over the long term. This would seem to be a clear winner for UMaine from a cost perspective.
pizanos..and let’s hope they win!!!
Why doesn’t Bangor Gas buy the methane for redistribution?
Casella, is cutting out the middle man and allowing UMaine to buy it factory direct if you will. If Bangor Gas wanted UMO’s buisness bad enough, they’d offer them a cheaper price wouldn’t they?
good point
because they wouldn’t like the price they’d have to sell it at???
here
wake up people, it is here, lets utilize it instead of bocking about it!
no one is going to steal any customers away from you
I get nervous about these underground natural gas lines, especially with as much ground movement with frost as the northern part of the state sees. Just how expensive would it be to instal the piping? half a million dollars?
Natural gas pipelines have existed for decades in climates worse than Maine’s.
Free enterprise at it’s best, I love it ! Now if the State could do the same thing with the bio-gas from the Dolby Site to the Millinocket area, Maine might actually be able to show the rest of the country that these landfill site’s are for more than arguing. Who knows, these site’s might just turn out to be more important than some folk’s want to admit to. Duplicating success is what real leadership is all about !
Dolby landfill produces hydrogen sulfide gas and doesn’t burn
All landfills produce some H2S but in small amounts. The predominent constituent is methane. Oh, and H2S does burn, it produces sulfur oxides (and water)
Thanks Gopher. I was beginning to feel like the wrong end of the ‘Lone Ranger and Tonto on the overlooking hill’ joke.
Maine is actually way behind the nation on this one. Landfills in other states have been using LFG in various ways for years.
Bangor representatives from where? OHIO
Bangor Subcontractors from where” the Carolina’s
They are threatened by the working people of Maine may be able to “work” on this project. Let’s get this State back to work. Kuddos to Umaine!
collude and price fix please and bring it back to us.
Bangor Gas should be ashamed, what a nerve to try to block a good deal. This is no better than the enviormentalist wacko’s trying to stop commerse.
Some would see this clearly as Commercial wackos interfering for their own selfish profit with another example of good environmental action.
They choose to force us to spend our public education money to buy from them to line their private pockets and increase pollution by burning more of their product that’s not needed rather than applaud and support turning waste into useful heat.
Greed.
If Bangor Gas has a problem with this, perhaps they should come up with a better and more cost-effective plan then make a counter offer. Like it or not, this is a capitalist society after all.
(suzie):mommy! jimmy across the street is selling raspberry lemonade. i might lose a customer. you know how fragile my business is. (mom) well suzie, i guess you can’t be the only lemonade stand on the street. (suzie): but mooooooom! (dad): look, suzie, that’s the way it is, if you don’t like it close your stand down then. (suzie):waaaaah!
dont worry lepgae will protect bangor gas.
What does he have to do with any of this? He’s not mentioned in the story and he doesn’t control the MPUC.
Because LePage is very Supportive of Natural Gas, and expanding Natural Gas, which is very good. If you have followed LePage, you would know that this comment might be a little off base, but not out of the realm of possibility.
I get what you’re saying. I agree that it’s likely he will personally support Bangor Gas, but nextgovernor’s comment seems to imply the Governor LePage actually is a deciding force behind whether or not they prevail in this case.
very true. I hope they can settle this and find middle ground, I personally can’t see why the governor would even get involved, and yes you are correct in your original statement about him not having anything to do with this. He is pushing natural gas(which I am glad he is doing) and might, if he sees it as not being good for the state, but I doubt it.
everyone wants a piece of the pie
Bangor Gas was told by the PUC to come up with an excuse to raise Gas Prices and they PUC would OK it.. They are all in bed together… the PUC is courpt.
Do I hear $40.00 a gallon!! Yes I will pay you $45.00 a gallon. Get rid of the Government and maybe we will have a chance in life. $3.00 a lb. for butter, $4.00+ a gal. for milk, almost $4.00 a gal for gas. The USA has no brains at all. And tax me more please.
I have no idea of how the University of Maine campus at Orono looks today, as the last time I was on the campus was back in 2003; although I have been in the area since that time. Listen, I think if the University of Maine really want (need?) a methane industry, cannot the City of Orono and the University of Maine join a cooperative agreement and form a new landfill that is jointly owned and managed by the University of Maine and the City of Orono? This way, the application for methane pipelines could become available in a shorter, or more cost-benefit plan for both parties. The environmental impact would not be that damaging if the landfill met federal safety and other standards. Bangor Gas does not need to get involved with everything going on in or outside their jurisdiction, as there seems to be no conflicts of interest here, rather than Bangor Gas simply desires itself to monopolize the entire local gas industry.
no
I hope the regulators see through this anti-competition price fixing attempt. Let the free market work and let’s explore any and all energy sources and address wasted energy.
What about competition, liberty and the free market?
Someone call the waahhmbulance.
yessah
I was thinking the same thing. Isn’t this just a business decision? One customer who wants to arrange for alternate fuel source. Just because Bangor Gas could lose its largest customer does not give them a right to prevent UMaine from going elsewhere.
Since the leftist green fringe files lawsuits at the drop of every hat, why are they surprised when someone else files suit to stop their project?
I haven’t been able to reverify but I recall that DCP Midstream(Searsport LPG Tank….) referenced Bangor Gas as one of its “companies”..maybe in the same family of companies?.
Penobscot Gas ( parent of Bangor Gas) was acquired by Energy West in 2007 . In their public statements to investors Energy West said it was excited to diversify markets (it is mainly a wsteren Mointana based Company).They were also excited hat Miane had only a 1% penetration on natural gas and looked forward to ramatic growth in customer base.
Amazing towns fought to keep these dumps out. Now that there is a buck to be made the dumps are a viable industry.