The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
Black Hills Energy representives Rod Wietzki, Brian Barrett Scott Wilson and Brad Samuals do some brainstorming with Pine Haven Council members about bringing natural gas to town.
The red line along the left (west) side is where the line is currently set with the blue lines the proposed line to bring the line to Pine Haven from Highway 14 and continuing on to Pine Ridge and toward Sundance.
ine Haven Mayor Bill Cunningham came into office with the intention of bringing natural gas to town and, with the assistance of Councilwoman Karla Brandenburg, has been gathering numbers to better ascertain the possibility.
To this end, the governing body met with Black Hills Energy last Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possible route and cost of a gas line to parallel Highway 113. Black Hills would be the gas supplier. They are the line owners and builders of the existing and potential gas line.
"There's been talk of getting natural gas to the outlaying communities for a long time," said Black Hills Energy gas tech supervisor Rod Wietzki, "and it usually come down to how much it costs to get it in there."
The proposed line would enter Pine Haven from Highway 14 and continue on to Pine Ridge and toward Sundance. "The larger the rate base, the easier it makes that project move forward," he said.
Pine Haven began this effort with Sundance; however, Sundance is about 39 miles away and the cost of that endeavor is not practical, so Pine Haven is now seeking a plan to go forward independently. The town has only a few miles to reach the existing gas line.
Wietzki then introduced the USDA Community Facilities Direct Grant and Loan Program into the conversation. "They'll go through and analyze the cost and essentially build the project and own it from beginning to end. Once they have the system up and operating, they have a third party agreement to operate the system for them," he said.
Pine Haven has already discussed with Powder River Corporation for becoming that third party.
Chad Rupe, director of rural development for USDA, did not attend this meeting; however, the council was advised to ask him to join future conversations if the town is interested in applying for funding from this program. "There are a lot of requirements with a USDA grant [and loan] application," Wietzki said.
Normally, according to Wietzki, Black Hills pays to build their own systems, "but with the distances from our existing system to the communities like Pine Haven and Sundance, the Public Service Commission would love to have us bring gas to the communities within the state, but that economic modal takes a lot [of money]."
USDA will not pay the loan or grant until after the project is complete, advised Wietzki. "[It is] one of the caveats to the funding so funding has to be secured before the USDA would even think about providing that long term loan." The town will have to ensure the initial moneys from Powder River.
The next step is to ascertain the actual numbers from Black hills Energy for Pine Haven, separate from Sundance, and bringing Powder River Corporation who would be the owners and operators of the line as well as inviting to Chad Rupe to the next meeting.
