Consumers Energy is replacing 149 miles of aging natural gas pipeline across Michigan this summer, including cast iron and steel lines dating back roughly a century.
(P&GJ) — Consumers Energy is replacing nearly 150 miles of natural gas pipeline across Michigan this summer as part of an ongoing effort to modernize its statewide gas distribution system.
The utility said crews are replacing 149 miles of existing cast iron and steel pipelines, some of which are approximately 100 years old. More than 600 Consumers Energy employees and contractors are involved in the work.
The largest concentrations of pipeline replacement include 18 miles in Saginaw; 14 miles each in Livonia, Mount Clemens and Kalamazoo; 12 miles each in Lapeer, Owosso and Lansing; and 11 miles in Alma. Additional projects are underway in Warren, Pontiac, Bloomfield, Troy and Bay City.
“We work throughout the year to make sure we safely, affordably and reliably serve the 1.8 million homes and businesses that count on us,” said LeeRoy Wells, Consumers Energy president of natural gas delivery. “These upgrades are an investment in securing our system, serving our customers this year and for years to come.”
Consumers Energy is also continuing work on its Four Cities Metro Pipeline in Oakland and Macomb counties, a separate replacement of a major regional gas pipeline expected to continue through the end of the decade. The projects are part of the utility’s broader Natural Gas Delivery Plan to modernize and maintain its Michigan gas system.
