Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of the Tampa Electric Company, is bringing natural gas to a portion of downtown Kissimmee along Main Street.
The work began at Oak Street and Central Avenue and consists of 8,500 feet of new piping that accesses existing gas mains in existing rights of way. No construction impacts are expected to Main Street, as the alleyway behind stores and businesses is being used for the pipe installation.
Currently, Peoples Gas is working on this expansion project as part of their continuing plans to bring natural gas service to underserved areas in Central Florida, including Osceola County.
“We are excited to deliver safe, resilient, and affordable natural gas to the residents and businesses in Kissimmee,” said Joshua Wyche, Peoples Gas regional manager of external affairs for Orlando, and East Central Florida.
Work actually started on this project several years ago when permits were obtained to install pipeline in existing state, county, and city rights of way as road and railroad projects took place. Gas mains were extended from the Osceola Parkway area to U.S. Highway 192 during this time.
In addition to new gas users in the downtown, “we hope to see several commercial propane customers convert to natural gas” according to Sylvia Vega, spokesperson for Peoples Gas. “We expect the project to be completed and have natural gas flowing by the end of May.”
According to the American Gas Association, natural gas is currently the cleanest and most environmentally friendly fossil fuel available for large-scale use today. It produces approximately half of the emissions of other fossil fuels while being extraordinarily energy efficient. Natural gas currently accounts for approximately 36 percent of electrical power generation in the U.S. per the U.S. Energy Information Administration and comes primarily from domestic sources. It can provide an alternative to electricity in some surprising ways, including powering large-scale emergency generators used by hospitals and other essential facilities. Natural gas-powered emergency generators are preferred for these facilities as they can restore power quicker than diesel or gasoline powered generators and powering a generator from a gas line eliminates periodic shutdowns for refueling. Since most natural gas infrastructure is underground, it is not as susceptible to windstorm outages and damage as electrical utilities.
Bringing energy alternatives to the Kissimmee downtown is definitely viewed as a benefit by Belinda O. Kirkegard, economic development director for the city of Kissimmee.
“From an economic development perspective, this natural gas expansion into our downtown is a win for the city. Not only is it an infrastructure investment in our downtown, this expanded service line provides developers with options to install gas appliances in new developments and can also provide restaurants with new options.”
Peoples Gas currently serves over 400,000 customers through its 11,000 miles of gas mains, compressor stations, and other infrastructure. Door tags should have already been placed on homes and businesses in advance of any activity or impact in the immediate downtown area.
