Chesapeake Utilities selected to explore natural gas pipeline expansion in VA

Chesapeake Utilities (CPK) announced the Accomack County Board of Supervisors has awarded the company its natural gas expansion bid, authorizing Chesapeake Utilities to begin engineering a new natural gas system it will construct, own and operate to enhance energy reliability on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Accomack County will contribute $6.5M through a state grant to initiate a project that would extend natural gas pipeline infrastructure from outside Princess Anne, Maryland, to Temperanceville, Virginia. The pipeline is intended to serve homes and major employers including the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island operations and regional poultry facilities. A 2022 state-commissioned study identified natural gas access as a key driver of future economic development for the region as Accomack County currently has no access to piped natural gas. Funding will be used to begin the first phase of the project including engineering, permitting, land acquisition and developing a capital investment estimate.