Philadelphia Gas Works announced it has been provisionally awarded a $40 million Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, established by the 2021 federal infrastructure law.
This grant, combined with two other awards from PHMSA since 2022, will fund a $125 million infrastructure plan in “historically disadvantaged” Philadelphia neighborhoods. The project will result in the replacement of 66 miles of cast iron main, the creation of 120 new skilled jobs and reduce 412 metric tons of methane emissions. The new piping, installed over a number of years, will be American made.
The groundbreaking took place last week at PGW’s North Operations Center, which opened last year at 5000 Summerdale Ave.
Among those in attendance were PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown; Seth Shapiro, PGW president and CEO; White House National Climate Advisor and Assistant to the President Ali Zaidi; U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean; City Controller Christy Brady, a member of the Philadelphia Gas Commission; City Councilmen Kenyatta Johnson and Anthony Phillips; Ryan Boyer, head of the building trades; and Mike McDonough, vice president of Gas Workers Local 686.
“We look forward to making Philadelphia safer,” McDonough said.
To learn more about PGW’s pipeline improvements, visit pgworks.com/pipeline-map. ••
