Liberty Utilities will not proceed with its Granite Bridge natural gas pipeline proposal and will instead seek an alternative solution.

The pipeline which would have followed Route 101, bringing natural gas from Exeter to Manchester, with a storage tank in Epping was opposed by several environmental groups and politicians.

The utility now hopes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approves a filing for a 20-year contract for capacity on an existing pipeline known as Concord Lateral. The new proposal will eliminate more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions while enabling more customers to receive gas service, according to the company.

Liberty Utilities proposed the project in 2017 with a natural gas capacity shortfall in New Hampshire. It would have linked to existing gas pipelines.

When we originally filed Granite Bridge, the capacity was not available, said Emily Burnett, a spokeswoman for Liberty Utilities. At the end of 2019, another company did not renew a contract to use a portion of the Concord Lateral pipeline.

Were always looking for the cheapest option available for our customers. This was flagged for us, Burnett said.

Liberty Utilities provides natural gas service to a growing customer base of more than 96,000 homes and businesses in 35 New Hampshire communities, including the cities of Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Laconia, Franklin and surrounding towns. The company struggled to meet the demand with more than about 1,000 customers a year signing up for gas service.

Making sure natural gas is available for customers who want it is critical not only for New Hampshires economy and for families pocketbooks, but also to enable the deepest, fastest, and most achievable pathway for decarbonizing our economy and taking action on climate change, said Sue Fleck, president of Liberty-NH, in a statement

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Liberty Utilities nixes Granite Bridge pipeline, gets increased capacity from another pipeline - The Union Leader