A 28-mile natural gas pipeline proposal from Enbridge has stirred up rural Chatham County, as neighbors and conservation groups say the line would slice through woods and waterways between Siler City and Moncure. Landowners report that survey crews are already walking their fields and forests, and that the line would terminate near Triangle Innovation Point, a megasite already mired in battles over large industrial projects. The plan has quickly revived old fights over eminent domain, stream crossings and who ends up paying for new energy infrastructure.
According to Enbridge Gas, the Chatham County System Expansion Project is intended to boost capacity to serve growing residential, commercial and industrial demand in Chatham and Lee counties. The company says contractors are now surveying proposed corridors and asks landowners who receive survey letters to contact Enbridge's land-agent team with questions or concerns.
Preliminary routing would connect the new line to Enbridge's existing system near Siler City, then run southeast and end near Moncure, with construction potentially starting in fall 2027 and gas service beginning in spring 2028, according to Michigan Advance. Local officials and residents note that if the route crosses creeks and streams, Enbridge will need additional state and possibly federal permits for water impacts.
"I resent a letter like that," said John Alderman, a 72-year-old western Chatham resident whose roughly 195-acre woodlot is enrolled in a carbon-storage project, Michigan Advance reports. Alderman says he told company representatives to "stay off my property," and neighbors worry that the proposed corridor could cross tributaries that feed the Deep River and other key waterways.
Rivers, Woods And Local Backlash
Conservation groups warn the pipeline could disturb creeks that flow into the Deep River and damage habitat for sensitive aquatic species, and organizers have called a community meeting for May 13 to walk residents through potential impacts. The Haw River Assembly is urging landowners who received survey notices to attend and press Enbridge for specifics on routing, construction methods and mitigation plans.
Data Centers In The Background
The proposed route would end near Triangle Innovation Point, where developers have floated a roughly 750-megawatt data-center project and where recent industrial clearing has already reshaped the landscape. Local reporting and court filings show a developer has sued Chatham County over a moratorium on new data centers, and opponents argue that expected demand from such facilities is a major reason utilities and pipeline companies are pushing new gas buildout, according to Business North Carolina.
Enbridge's Wider Push And The State's Buildout
Enbridge expanded its North Carolina footprint in 2024 when it acquired Dominion Energy's natural-gas business, and the company has said new projects, including the Chatham line and broader reliability work, are meant to strengthen regional gas delivery. In public statements, Enbridge has framed the buildout as part of a larger effort to meet rising demand, a trend that state reporting links to an influx of large commercial users such as data centers, which account for a sizable share of projected new load in the Carolinas, according to the News & Observer.
Permits, Eminent Domain And Legal Hurdles
The project will need state permits and could require a federal water-quality permit if the corridor crosses streams, and landowners can go to court to challenge compensation and takings if negotiations with Enbridge break down. That mix of regulatory review and litigation is already familiar from past pipeline fights in North Carolina and is part of why neighbors and local officials say they are watching new filings closely, NC Newsline reports.
A public meeting called by local groups is set for May 13 to bring landowners and neighbors into the same room and press for clearer information on the proposed route. Organizers say they will demand specific mitigation commitments and a full explanation of why additional gas capacity is needed. County commissioner Amanda Robertson, whose district includes Moncure, told reporters she would "do everything in my power to find a way to stop that from happening," a promise many opponents of the line are now watching closely.
