State awards more than $100,000 toward natural gas project

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) recently approved $105,497 Pipeline Investment Program (PIPE) funds for SEDA-COG Natural Gas Cooperative, through the Commonwealth Financing Authority, in Mifflin County.

Funding was approved for the purchase and installation of a 11,000-gallon liquefied natural gas tank located in Armagh Township. The tank will support the delivery of liquefied natural gas to Unipar and surrounding businesses in the Milroy area. It will be installed on a Unipar site and will tie into existing delivery piping.

The tank also will be available for future accessibility to supply a route-based delivery system to surrounding businesses and residential customers.

“PIPE grants offer critical support for businesses and communities to complete construction on natural gas distribution lines into underserved areas,” DCED Secretary Dennis Davin said. “This also supports decreasing a region’s carbon footprint, bringing lower energy costs to residents, and new jobs to support construction efforts.”

The PIPE was created in 2016 to provide grants for the construction of the last few miles of natural gas lines to business parks and existing manufacturing and industrial enterprises. The goal is to provide residents with natural gas access and create jobs.

Businesses, economic development organizations, hospitals, municipalities, and school districts are eligible to apply.