Proposal For 20 Mile Gas Line From Ellijay to Blue Ridge

Natural gas provider Atlanta Gas Light Company (AGL) is mapping out a possible gas line that will span the 20 miles between Ellijay and Blue Ridge. The area, known to many as the Blue Ridge Corridor, “is part of AGL’s certificated service territory, but is not currently served by natural gas,” according to recent correspondence from the company.

The effort is part of the company’s second annual Strategic Corridor Plan under the Integrated Customer Growth Program. Part of AGL’s push into the region is attributed to results from a recent survey, indicating “that extending natural gas services would provide a great opportunity to boost Fannin County’s economic development,” supposedly allowing the county to market itself in different sectors and diversify its job market.

The project is divided into two sections: section one extends a high pressure steel main (pipe) along Georgia State Highway 515 from the Ellijay city Limits to the city limits of Blue Ridge. Section two begins, again, in Ellijay and continues north along Boardtown Road for approximately 40,000 feet. This part of the corridor targets the conversion from propane to natural gas of poultry growers along the route.

According to AGL, the move is in response to poultry growers’ interest in a conversion from propane to natural gas, due to rising propane prices. As such, the project is expected to boost Fannin County’s economy, conceivably by offering companies greater opportunities thanks to a cheaper form of gas. The project could also boost the economy in Gilmer County by reducing gas prices for poultry growers there.

The proposal is now awaiting approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission. When asked, AGL did not know when the GPSC would vote on the proposal, but the company expects a response to the plan in early August.