In a significant development for the region’s energy landscape, Lower Valley Energy has officially commenced natural gas service in Afton after nearly a decade of planning and construction on the Crow Creek Pipeline. Craig Coles, the Director of Gas Operations at Lower Valley Energy, shared insights into this transformative project during a recent interview on the Weekday Wake-up.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Coles remarked, outlining the inception of their gas service in Afton back in 1997. Over the past two decades, the landscape of natural gas supply has evolved significantly, impacting pricing and availability. “There’d been a lot of things that had changed over the years,” he explained, highlighting that with the closure of several LNG supply sites, reliability had become a growing concern.

To address these challenges, the decision was made to explore the feasibility of a pipeline that could deliver a consistent supply of natural gas to the area. Coles noted, “We started looking at the options to make sure we keep our rates low and to be able to have the reliability that we needed for natural gas.”

The lengthy planning process began nearly nine years ago, involving studies and regulatory approvals, which were often interrupted by changing costs and unforeseen roadblocks. “We started looking at the options of where to come from… we picked the option to come up, go down Crow Creek to the Montpelier area,” Coles said.

After multiple environmental impact studies and regulatory hurdles, construction finally began in July 2022, culminating in the installation of a 47-mile pipeline that involved complex terrain. “We were able to do some days as much as two miles a day,” Coles said, highlighting the efficient use of a specialized “spider plow” that expedited the construction process.

Natural gas began flowing to the town of Afton two weeks ago, in a seamless transition from their existing LNG distribution network. “We had a pretty seamless transition from going from our liquefied natural gas plant to the pipeline gas,” Coles stated, marking a new chapter for energy supply in the region.

While the current pipeline primarily serves Afton, residents and stakeholders are eager to know about future expansions. “I think that everybody’s excited to see it come into the valley… we definitely want to move  through the valley,” Coles remarked, indicating plans for expansions in the Fairview area this summer and beyond.

Speaking to the benefits of the new pipeline, Coles emphasized the dual goals of maintaining low rates and ensuring reliability, which had been significant issues for the community over the years. He acknowledged the hard work of everyone involved in bringing the project to completion. “It was a huge project, and to be able to do it in such a short period of time once we started, was pretty amazing,” he said appreciatively.

The natural gas supplied through the pipeline comes from the Williams Northwest Pipeline, with feeds originating from the Opal and Jonah fields. As Lower Valley Energy continues to navigate its growth, the establishment of the Crow Creek Pipeline marks a pivotal moment for energy availability in Afton, ensuring residents enjoy a reliable and sustainable energy source for years to come.