NIPSCO enters final year of construction for $148M natural gas infrastructure replacement, upgrade project in Indiana
As of this year, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) will conclude work on an approximately $148 million project in Kokomo, Ind., where its crews have worked to replace and upgrade the natural gas distribution system since 2019.
The city’s original underground natural gas system will be retired in 2023. To achieve that, workers will have had to replace approximately 67 miles of mainline gas pipeline with new plastic counterparts. Around 5,800 new customer gas service lines and 5,600 customer gas meter upgrades have been completed along the way. About 1,000 new customer gas service lines and meters and 16 miles of new line remain to be serviced.
“NIPSCO is dedicated to investing back into the infrastructure system through continuous planned improvements to enhance system safety by engaging in programs such as infrastructure modernization programs, distribution integrity management programs, and damage prevention programs, all of which are designed to ensure customer and community safety,” Karen McLean, public affairs and economic development manager at NIPSCO, said. “NIPSCO recognizes that any construction work is very impactful to a community and would like to thank the City of Kokomo for their patience during this important project work. The benefits of a new natural gas system provide long-term reliability and safety of the system as well as less maintenance work in the neighborhoods in the future years, again, we thank the community for helping this project through a successful three years of work.”
Modernization work will pick up again in April, focused on the northeastern section of Kokomo. NIPSCO, together with its contractor partner NPL, will personally handle construction. The city’s natural gas system is being monitored throughout the work by 38 existing natural gas regulator stations that were part of the original system design. However, these stations will be updated to modernize their technical capabilities and protections.
