City looks to expand gas territory

The Commerce City Council approved the plans for Banks and Clarke counties last Monday night. The Jackson County plan is due in June.

Commerce serves a tiny portion of Clarke County along U.S. 441 from its connection to the Transcontinental Pipeline in Clarke County north. Similarly, it provides service along the U.S. 441 corridor — within 400 feet of the highway up to Commerce.

The city also provides natural gas to Banks Crossing in Banks County.

“While the maps represent safety boundary areas, the PSC will allow their conversion to service areas,” explained Jim Eubanks, the city’s gas superintendent, to the city council.

The process is “drawn out,” Eubanks noted, but can be made simpler if all parties agree.

For example, the city’s Banks County “safety territory” goes up U.S. 441 almost to Homer, but the city’s current service territory stops at Banks Crossing. If the city wanted to extend service north, it could petition the PSC for the right. Should Atlanta Gas Light, which currently has the right to the territory, not object, the process would be relatively smooth.

Since Atlanta Gas Light has very little service in Banks County or on the east side of Jackson, short of a major development taking place there, the company would be unlikely to be interested in extending lines to cover those areas.

Commerce, which is nearby, might find the cost of extending its system into those areas feasible.

The Jackson County agreement will essentially give Commerce the eastern side of the county, while the Banks County agreement cedes to the city the southeastern portion of Banks County.

Currently, there is little in the new “safety areas” to interest the city, but ultimately officials think the U.S. 441 and Interstate 85 corridors will provide opportunities to expand the utility.