Las Cruces Receives US$10 Million to Upgrade Natural Gas Distribution Lines

LAS CRUCES, NM – The City of Las Cruces has received a US$10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to upgrade and modernize natural gas distribution lines.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the grant award on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, while in Las Cruces. As part of the US$10 million grant, Buttigieg also announced the start of the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Support (NGDISM) program.

This new grant program will help improve safety and protect public health while seeking to reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution pipelines.

According to the Las Cruces City Council, the NGDISM program, established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, provides nearly US$1 billion in federal funding over five years to modernize municipally and community-owned natural gas distribution pipelines, helping to keep communities safe from leaks.

“This funding to modernize our pipelines will help protect residents from dangerous leaks, create good-paying jobs and reduce methane emissions in communities across the country, especially in rural and underserved areas,” said Secretary Buttigieg.

Las Cruces is one of more than 20 communities in the United States that have received NGDISM grants, which will see recipients repair, replace or rehabilitate nearly 270 miles of pipelines, reducing methane emissions by approximately 212 metric tons annually.

“Investments in pipeline safety are investments in community safety and our shared environment,” said Tristan Brown, PHMSA Deputy Administrator.

Brown noted that for too long, disadvantaged communities have had to bear the brunt of aging and dangerous pipelines. “This funding will finally give communities the resources they need to replace legacy pipelines, improving safety, protecting the environment and creating jobs,” he said.

PHMSA develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable and environmentally sound operation of the 3.4 million-mile pipeline transportation system in the U.S. and the nearly 1.2 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea and air.