WYALUSING, Pa. — Grovedale Winery has been a part of the community for over a decade, seeing it change in many ways and with the borough's latest endeavor to eventually have the entire Wyalusing community hooked up to natural gas.
Business owners couldn't be more thrilled.
"We're really looking forward to being able to utilize some natural gas," said Jeff Homer, the owner of Grovedale Winery.
Homer is just one of the business owners and residents who will soon be able to take advantage of natural gas hookups.
The excitement comes on the heels of the project, more than five years in the making.
In a groundbreaking ceremony, Leatherstocking Gas Company marked the start of a natural gas distribution system near the Wyalusing Area school grounds.
It will serve not only the school district but all residential and commercial businesses.
"It's a big deal," Homer said. "I mean, we're going to see savings, and we get to utilize the gas you know that's right under our feet, and I like the energy and independence of it."
Phase one of the project will be to provide natural gas to the Wyalusing School District and to Homer's winery, right across the street.
The second phase will look to continue the gas system out onto Route 6, and finally, in phase three, gas lines will connect to homes and businesses in the borough.
For an area that's has seen tons of fracking, some homeowners are thankful to finally reap the benefits.
"We've been witnessing the activity for many years now, and I think it will give us give folks here an option, give them a choice, something to consider as an alternative to what they are receiving now," said Jeff Lafrance from Wyalusing.
"This is a dream come true for Wyalusing and its area simply because we're sitting on this motherload of natural gas, and now we're going to be able to utilize it for ourselves. It's all been going someone where else all these years, and now we get to use it," added Mayor Suan Burgess.
Work will begin late spring/early summer at the school with the hope that construction will be completed by fall 2021, just in time for the start of the school year.