Municipal council is standing behind Union Gas as they look to expand natural gas infrastructure in Chatham-Kent.
A grant application went before council Monday night, asking for council to support Union Gas' application to the provincial government's Natural Gas Program.
By endorsing the proposed project, council would need to make a financial contribution, "equivalent to the property tax that would be recovered on the new natural gas infrastructure being built for a period of ten years," as stated in a report.
The application passed unanimously, with two votes unaccounted for due to a conflict of interest.
"I think it's a great opportunity," said Mayor Randy Hope. "We've been very strong and active in working with the government to try and get this program up and running for a number of years. It's now in front of us, it's now for us to act."
Funds for the proposed project would come out of Strategic Reserves.
However, this is just one step forward for the proposed project. Union Gas still needs support from the community, funding from the provincial government, and approval from the Ontario Energy Board for the pipelines.
Should everything be approved, the natural gas expansion could begin sometime between 2018-2019.
Some of the benefits of the natural gas expansion in Chatham-Kent, which are outlined in the report, include attracting new business, growing the greenhouse sector, and creating jobs.
Related: Natural Gas Expansion On The Horizon