The Boston-based Xpress Natural Gas was selected as the top bidder for a five-year contract to provide truck-delivered natural gas to the University of Maine’s Machias campus.
The award comes after the system’s Augusta campus inked a deal with pipeline natural gas provider Maine Natural Gas in July.
XNG said in a press release that after a final agreement with the university, the company will start work in spring 2014 to convert the campus to use natural gas by next fall. The company estimates that the conversion will help cut annual heating costs by 25% at the Machias campus.
In December, the Portland Press Herald reported the university system solicited bids for converting four campuses — Augusta, Farmington, Machias and Presque Isle — off of heating oil. Summit Natural Gas of Maine said at the time that it bid on the Augusta, Farmington and Presque Isle campuses while Maine Natural Gas bid only on the Augusta project.
