When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure:
Why We Must Get the Tilton Solution Right
By Anthony Strabone, President, New Hampshire Gas, Liberty
Communities grow. Businesses invest. Families plan their futures. Supporting all of it are essential systems that operate largely out of sight, delivering the reliability we’ve come to expect from modern life. We rarely notice them when they function as designed. It’s only when capacity is strained, when limits are reached, that they enter the public conversation.
This is where we find ourselves today in Tilton area.
A moratorium is never the outcome anyone wants. We recognize the real impact this is having on housing development, on economic momentum, and on the everyday decisions customers and communities are trying to make. Frustration is understandable. Urgency is real. And so is the responsibility to deliver the right solution.
The existing energy infrastructure is operating at its capacity. That means we are bound not by preference, but by the non-negotiable fundamental requirements of safety and system reliability.
What we can do, and what we are doing, is move forward. Deliberately, transparently, and with urgency where it matters most, while not compromising safety or risking the integrity of the system. The consequences of doing so could be significantly more disruptive than the constraints we are managing today.
Work is already underway to advance design and engineering planning. Beginning in summer 2026, we will formally transition into evaluating long-term infrastructure upgrades while simultaneously advancing implementation planning for interim solutions so we can pursue multiple pathways in parallel.
Long-term, that includes evaluating infrastructure upgrades such as expanding pipeline capacity, which are investments that can sustainably meet the needs of a growing region. These solutions require detailed engineering validation and regulatory approvals to ensure they are safe, effective, and cost-effective for customers.
Expanding infrastructure is also complex. In Tilton alone, potential upgrades would span roughly ten miles of primarily residential areas, requiring careful routing, environmental and community considerations, coordination with municipalities, and extensive permitting and construction planning. This is not a simple or quick build; it must be done thoughtfully to minimize disruption and ensure long-term reliability.
None of this happens in isolation. We’re committed to working closely with regulators, state agencies, municipal leaders, developers, and customers as this is a shared challenge, and it requires coordinated, transparent engagement at every step.
For everyone involved, it’s important to be clear about timelines. Engineering in 2026 is a critical milestone, but large-scale infrastructure projects take time. They require approvals, detailed design, and careful construction. Moving too quickly, without the proper process and validation, can increase costs for customers and introduce risks to system reliability. It is important to take the necessary time to get this right.
That doesn’t mean standing still. It means advancing with purpose. Our focus is clear: restore capacity, support our communities, and build a system that is safe, reliable, and prepared for the future. The work underway today, are essential steps toward that outcome.
Growth is a sign of a healthy, thriving region. Our job is to work with our community, state, and industry partners to help infrastructure keep pace responsibly, sustainably, and with the long-term interests of our customers at the center of every decision.
That is the work ahead. And we are committed to getting it right.