Erin's natural gas project funding denied

The community of Ballinafad will not be getting natural gas any time soon.

The Union Gas project would have expanded the existing natural gas system into the community through a provincial government grant.

The government of Ontario announced in January 2017 a $100-million Natural Gas Grant Program available to natural gas providers to expand service.

In correspondence to council presented on Jan. 16, Mark Lawson of Union Gas informed the town the project was not approved to receive the funding.

Lawson said during the application period, Union Gas submitted 45 applications. Not all of them were approved.

“Union Gas will continue to advocate for programs that extend natural gas service to rural, remote and Indigenous communities that would benefit from affordable, reliable energy,” he said in the letter.

“Naturally, it’s disappointing it didn’t proceed,” said councillor Jeff Duncan at the meeting.

He added word of the denial should be given to the residents of Ballinafad.