ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia utility regulators will allow AGL Resources Inc. to charge $275 million to replace old plastic pipelines carrying natural gas.
The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an agreement governing the program.
Under the deal, AGL Resources will replace 756 miles of plastic pipeline over the next four years.
Company executives say an intensive program to replace pipes rather than a smaller piecemeal effort lowers the chance of a major pipeline failure. They say it also allows the utility to get cheaper prices on parts and labor.
The utility started using plastic pipes in the 1960s. But several failures nationally showed early versions of those plastic pipes could become brittle and crack.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.