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For Immediate Release: December 19, 1997
CON EDISON EXPANDS NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN NORTHERN WESTCHESTER
Con Edison began natural gas service to more than one dozen
condominium units at Heritage Hills in Somers, New York this week.
These occupied homes, which are among a projected 800 new units
under construction at the complex, are being supplied by Con Edison
via a new interconnection with the Algonquin pipeline. Expansion of
service to the Heritage Hills area represents a milestone for Con
Edison, which previously supplied gas in southern Somers to only a few
homes and PepsiCo Inc. on Route 100. The interconnection replaces a
temporary gas supply to the condominiums that has operated since
October 2. "We are pleased to be able to provide a reliable gas supply
to Heritage Hills residents and to have our expert staff advise and work
with contractors installing clean-burning heating units for the new
owners," said Mary Jane McCartney, Con Edison’s senior vice
president of gas operations. "By choosing natural gas, residents will get
clean, reliable, efficient energy year-round. They will derive benefits
from our vast experience and knowledge of the natural gas business,
which dates back to the nineteenth century," she added. Residents will
also be able to choose natural gas for hot water, cooking and fireplace
equipment in the new West Hills section 29 of the complex being built
by Heritage Hills Development Corp. In addition to the units under
construction, Con Edison anticipates making gas service available for
up to 2,000 existing units, if their owners desire conversion to natural
gas heat from electric heat. Converting to natural gas heat in 1998 will
cost each homeowner about $3,900 for new heating equipment,
depending on the system they choose, while reducing heating costs
considerably compared with electric heat. This savings, combined with
low-cost financing arranged by Con Edison, should pay for the
conversion in just a few years. After that, the savings would be the
homeowners’ to keep. The company estimates that the yearly demand
for natural gas in the new 800 unit West Hills section will be just under a
million therms, which is equivalent to the heat derived from about 100
million cubic feet of natural gas. The Heritage Hills project will facilitate
bringing natural gas energy to other parts of Somers and nearby areas
if sufficient demand for natural gas exists. Con Edison is one of the
nation's largest investor-owned utilities, with nearly $7 billion in annual
revenues and $14 billion in assets. The company provides electric, gas and steam service to three million customers in New York City and
Westchester County, New York.
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