SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A proposed 470-mile natural gas pipeline would begin in Sumner County, and the company hoping to build it says the goal is to bring more natural gas to the region.
The project, called the Southeast Connector Project, is being developed by Kinder Morgan. The company says it is still in the early stages of planning.
“Tennessee doesn’t have its own underground natural gas supply like some parts of the country do. So the way you get your supply is through these transmission lines,” a Kinder Morgan representative said. “There is some natural gas service in the area, but it’s limited.”
The proposed route would cross 10 Tennessee counties and end in Georgia. Sumner County would serve as the northern connection point for utilities.
“We’ve talked to multiple utilities along the route, many of which are going to have direct supply off of this pipeline,” the representative said.
More than 750 property owners along the route would be impacted by the project.
“Right now, we’ve identified about 760 through the state. We’re contacting those landowners for initial survey permission,” the representative said. “We’re not anywhere near easement negotiations or anything like that. This is just to determine the uniqueness of property.”
Those surveys would help the company determine where it can build and how many homes it would need to approach with an offer to sell rights to their land.
Chad Grandell, a Smith County resident whose family owns a dog boarding business on two plots of land where the pipeline would run, said the process began about three weeks ago with a request for permission to survey.
He said the project would force his family to move and disrupt their business.
“It would certainly cause a disruption. Nobody feels comfortable having dogs here with that kind of blasting and all the things that would be going on,” he said.
Chad said his concerns extend beyond his own property.
“This is one of those things that you don’t think about until it happens to you,” he said. “Some major concerns out here in the rural counties is emergency response preparedness. We are volunteer fire departments. Are we equipped for an incident?”
He urged neighbors to prepare for what could come next.
“Make sure you are looking for eminent domain attorneys, because this is not just a simple process that would be going on,” he said.
The project still needs federal approval. Kinder Morgan says it plans to apply for that approval next year. If approved, construction could begin in late 2028, with natural gas flowing by late 2030.
The company says it will hold public meetings and take community input throughout the process.
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