Enbridge Inc.’s board of directors has committed upwards of $600-million to expand natural gas distribution in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
The Calgary-based energy firm says it plans to expand Enbridge Gas Distribution’s (EGD) GTA system within the next three years to meet the demands of growth in the region.
“Over the last 20 years, EGD has almost doubled its total number of customers across Ontario from 1.1-million in 1992 to 20-million in 2012,” EGD president Guy Jarvis said in a statement to media. "We're well positioned to benefit from continued strong population growth in the GTA making us not only one of the largest, but also one of the fastest growing, natural gas distribution companies in North America.
The proposed project would consist of two segments of pipeline and related facilities to upgrade the existing distribution system that delivers natural gas to the municipalities of Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.
Enbridge expects to file an application with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in the coming months.
The estimated capital cost of the project is contingent on finalization of the scope of the project, according to Enbridge.
“The proposed upgrade project will enable us to serve current and anticipated growth in our customers' needs, enhance our flexibility to avoid customer impacts due to disruption of physical supply, and provide options to access additional supply sources for our customers,” Jarvis added.
The target for construction of the upgrade project is in 2014 and 2015.
The project is subject to OEB approval.
For more information about the proposed expansion, visit www.enbridgegas.com/gtaproject.