National Grid crews have been busy along Montauk Highway in Center Moriches as part of an ongoing effort to modernize natural gas service connections serving local homes and businesses.
The work, which has involved sidewalk excavation, trench digging, and temporary lane disruptions, is focusing primarily on replacing aging service lines running from underground gas mains to individual buildings. The project is part of National Grid’s broader Long Island gas infrastructure modernization program aimed at improving reliability and reducing leaks in older underground piping systems.
National Grid states that its replacement projects are designed to upgrade older natural gas infrastructure and improve system safety throughout Long Island communities. The work can include excavation near sidewalks, driveways, and building connections while crews install newer piping and reconnect gas meters and service lines.
Residents and business owners in areas undergoing construction have experienced intermittent sidewalk closures over the past several weeks. Temporary repairs are being left in place until permanent restoration work can be completed.
The utility has accelerated infrastructure replacement efforts across Long Island in recent years as safety regulations increasingly target older gas piping systems prone to corrosion and leakage.
The upgrades come at a time when state officials are battling over the mandates of the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act passed by the State Legislature in 2019. The law requires the phasing out of natural gas and other fossil fuels and pushes the state toward all-electric energy use over the next decade.
Opponents argue that the law will lead to higher energy costs and handcuff economic growth, as wind and solar projects are not keeping pace with the act’s aggressive Green New Deal-style goals.
National Grid operates Long Island’s natural gas distribution system under a long-term agreement with New York State that allows the utility to deliver and maintain gas service for homes and businesses across Nassau and Suffolk counties.