BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Some residents of Elk Ridge Mobile Home Park in Los Alamos have reached out to the Los Alamos Reporter concerning email they recently received from YES! Communities, notifying them that they are working with Los Alamos County to convert their natural gas service to propane.
The email reads as follows:
“Dear valued residents of Elk Ridge,
“Our community is working in partnership with Los Alamos County to begin a very near future project to convert all homes from natural gas to propane. This conversion is necessary because the current natural gas distribution system has reached the end of its useful life and it is not feasible to replace it.
“Please be aware, we have had some on-site contractors working in the community on this project to assess the plan. Once we have the details of the project finalized, we will be communicating the specifics to you surrounding timing, plans and overall project details.
“In addition, we would like to ensure that we have all residents contact information correct with our office team so we can communicate with you the details of the project. Please email or stop by the office to make sure we have your correct email address and phone on file.
“Thank you in advance for your patience on this near future project that will enhance your homes and our community! Reach out to the community office with any questions.
“Your Elk Ridge Community Team!“
Residents are complaining that this is all the information they have received.
“They’re telling is nothing about the cost, who’s paying for this, whether we have to get tanks, how big they would have to be and how much they will cost,” one resident wrote. “Right now we don’t have a manager so we can’t get the information we need.”
Another resident said they found it troubling that Yes! Communities does not have contact information for all resident and is requesting it in an email.
The Reporter reached out to Los Alamos County Deputy Utility Manager Kendall who said the Yes! Communities’ conversion project is necessary because the natural gas distribution system serving the residents has reached the end of its useful life and it is not feasible to replace it. She said the Department of Public Utilities does not know the details or timing of the YES! Communities conversion project.
“The County has reached out to Yes! Communities and will provide more information once we receive it. The County has been metering and billing for the natural gas that comes from DOE/LANL through a master meter at Elk Ridge,” Kendall said. “Once each individual home conversion is completed, we will conduct a final meter reading at the residence and close out individual natural-gas accounts. When the entire park conversion project is completed, we will purge and cap the distribution system.”
She noted that DPU did a comprehensive leak survey of the entire park in July and August and that no leaks were detected.
Calls to local and regional YES! offices have not been returned.