Accomack Board of Supervisors moves forward with gas pipeline project

Accomack County leaders moved forward with a major infrastructure project aimed at bringing piped natural gas to the Eastern Shore at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday.

County officials considered and approved the award of Request for Proposals number 341 to Chesapeake Utilities to design, build, own, operate, and maintain a natural gas system in Accomack County. The project carried a fiscal impact of six-and-a-half million dollars, fully funded through a state grant.

The approved proposal called for Chesapeake Utilities to construct a transmission pipeline running from outside Princess Anne, Maryland, south to Temperanceville, with additional distribution lines extending to the Perdue poultry processing plant near Accomac, as well as the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and Wallops Island.

The project timeline was expected to span about 45 months. Construction was projected to take roughly 18 months, with the remaining time devoted to design, permitting, land acquisition, and securing rights-of-way. Chesapeake Utilities was set to own and operate the system and handle all long-term maintenance and repairs.

County officials said the lack of access to natural gas had long limited Accomack’s ability to attract and retain businesses. A state-commissioned study in 2022 found that extending natural gas infrastructure into the county would significantly support economic development. In response, the Virginia General Assembly appropriated six-and-a-half million dollars to help make the project possible.

The county executed a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade allowing the funds to be used for engineering, planning, permitting, and related costs. The total cost of the project was estimated at more than 78 million dollars, with Chesapeake Utilities covering the majority of the expense.

Officials said the project was expected to provide a lower-cost, reliable energy source for businesses, including major poultry processors, while also offering residents and commercial customers an alternative to more expensive fuels like propane and heating oil.

Under the agreement, Chesapeake Utilities was required to repay the county if the project was not completed or if funds were spent on ineligible expenses.