Yates County neighbors, don’t buy that pipeline!

Sarah Carson I attended the recent “Public Meeting for New Gas Main to Benton Center” on May 3. It was billed as an opportunity to “discuss two options for a new natural gas service main to the new Yates County Highway/ OES/ Public Health Facility at Benton Center.” As a new resident of Yates County, I was eager to engage with my community on this important topic.

Imagine my disappointment when the opening remarks included a threat to throw out anyone who dared ask questions deemed to be unsuitable in the opinion of the gentlemen who introduced himself as “the enforcer!” Determined that civil discourse could carry the day, I bravely raised my hand. I actually had to wait while another community member was loudly threatened with ejection by the self-appointed enforcer for asking why the gas pipeline was being proposed at all. I didn’t fare much better: I was summarily interrupted, talked over and directed to stop speaking by Legislator Leslie Church when I attempted to engage with another resident who was replying to my inquiries about evaluation of costs, rebates and alternatives.

It’s been a while since I’ve taken a civics class, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t meet the definition of “discussion.”

I will provide my input here instead.

I dug into minutes and recordings from past Yates County Legislature (YCL) and the Public Works Committee (PWC) meetings looking for answers. I suggest listening to the recordings of the March 6, 2022 PWC meeting and April 10, 2022 YCL meetings to understand how your tax dollars are being spent with this project. Here’s what I discovered.

1. The County bought three parcels in Benton to site its much-needed new Highway, Emergency Services, and Public Health Building, which elicited concern from the Benton Town Supervisor about lost tax revenue and the burden on the other water district customers from losing the three connections. He supports expanding the natural gas pipeline now proposed as a $1.7 million plus-up alternate to the new County building’s propane heating system to hook up residents, businesses, and Town facilities. Hence the meeting to discuss pipeline routing options.

Questions: Will the new County facility use as much or more water as three former residences? How much of the half million dollar increase to the gas alternative budget from the originally proposed $1.2 million is for the Benton Center expansion?

2. The new gas pipeline is being pitched as a money saving alternative to the propane system C&S Engineers originally designed. An additional $1.7 million on top of the $26 million project budget has been authorized for the gas line. The propane tanks are listed in the budget at $9,500. It was stated at the meeting that there would be ~$50,000/year in operational savings. After admonishing the crowd on the importance of normalizing costs to make apples to apples comparisons for different energy sources, the Benton Town Supervisor quoted several out of context, non-normalized prices for certain quantities of gas and propane vs. a demand rate for electricity. He also declared gas to be many times cheaper than either propane or electricity. It was unclear if he was referring to heat pumps, but maybe it doesn’t matter because as he said, he’s a politician so we can’t hold him accountable for anything. No one was able/ willing to answer questions about how much it would cost residents to connect.

Questions: What energy forecast is that operational savings based on? Can the proponents of this project share some actual calculations? What “electricity” solutions were evaluated and did this evaluation account for the savings that could be realized from the 40-50% federal rebates now available as direct pay refunds to communities for installing heat pumps and/or renewable energy? Wouldn’t it be great if our Emergency Services building also had solar panels and energy storage system so it could remain fully operational during emergencies when the power grid is down? And for those folks lucky enough to be nearby, they could even charge up electric vehicles that have the capacity to power their homes during grid outages. And wouldn’t the county personnel and visitors appreciate the air conditioning that also comes with heat pumps? (p.s. YCL that staff request for a TV for the breakroom seems reasonable!)

3. NYSEG told the PWC that payback for the gas pipeline would be 13-28 years. Regardless of your opinion about it, the N.Y. State Climate Law phases in prohibitions on gas connections to new buildings beginning in less than three years, and gas appliances won’t be available.

Questions: Has the YCL finance committee evaluated this plan to spend $1.7 million on an asset with no hope of breaking even let alone realizing a return?

Won’t the gas pipeline set the whole county up for a financial hit with a proverbial “stranded asset” that becomes more and more expensive for dwindling customers to maintain?

1. The YCL gas pipeline resolution authorizes a not-to-exceed budget of $1.7 million. NYSEG is purportedly not allowed to solicit new gas customers (and was therefore not at the May 3 meeting to answer the only three questions that were ultimately recorded). It was somehow agreed that if the Town of Benton solicits new customers, NYSEG would give the county a $12,500 payout for each one that connects immediately to the new gas pipeline, with smaller payouts as time passes.

Questions: Why are local officials soliciting business for NYSEG? Can the YCL or PWC present a coherent, holistic evaluation of the costs and benefits for propane, natural gas and ground source heat pumps? At the May 3 meeting, I was ultimately told it was too late to contemplate any changes to the project – even if those changes mean tremendous financial savings. Here’s what I don’t understand: Why is a switch to natural gas even being considered?

And why do I have to write an op-ed to share this input instead having a civil discussion with my neighbors and county leaders?

Sarah Carson owns Brookside Farm in Branchport, and is Director of Cornell University’s Campus Sustainability Office. The opinions expressed here are her own.

Yates County neighbors, don’t buy that pipeline!

Latest Stories

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password