In the Pipeline

Reporting by Paul Chesser on the boondoggle involving the building of a taxpayer-funded natural gas pipeline in northeastern North Carolina is beginning to generate other media coverage. Two newspapers – the Charlotte Business Journal and The Daily Advance – recently published stories on the line’s progress, or lack thereof, as demonstrated by just 800 customers for the service. As Chesser wrote, this type of infrastructure typically isn’t constructed until the market demands it, but the $188 million project is the result of a bond passed in 1998. To read Chesser’s series, which dates back to June 2003, visit Carolina Journal. Click on “CJ Exclusives” and then “Exclusive Series.” Look for “Natural Gas in Northeast NC.”