Williams Natural Gas, a large producer of natural gas, is adding a new loop to move natural gas through Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Williams handles approximately one third of the natural gas in the United States, which is used to heat homes, cook food and generate our electricity, according to the company.

“Natural gas demand is strong and additional infrastructure is needed to sustain the growth of renewable and electrification,” said Alan Armstrong, president and CEO of Williams Natural Gas.

Williams is adding a 13.8-mile, 42-inch pipe loop through Chestnuthill in Monroe County, according to the company.

Armstrong said natural gas is the solution for the most complex challenge of our time by producing affordable and reliable energy while meeting climate goals. But access to abundant and low-cost natural gas reserves is dependent on having the infrastructure to move natural gas.

The project is an expansion of Williams’ existing infrastructure.

The project involves clearing a path before the pipeline can be installed.

The preliminary design of the project consists of additional selected new loop segments along the existing Transco corridor, Armstrong said

Armstrong said the new pipeline will run along the pipeline that already exists.

Armstrong said the expansion is designed to minimize environmental impacts by maximizing the use of existing Transco infrastructure and rights of way.

The project is designed to increase natural gas transportation capacity by up to 829,000 dekatherms per day, in contrast to other pipeline proposals that maximize the use of existing energy infrastructure.