According to Cristina Jorge Schwarz, Managing Director at ExE, Ltd., thorough planning and permitting processes are involved with infrastructure investment and development across urban and rural areas. Through this process, she stresses that “community is involved through the process…[and] that community conversation is crucial throughout all the stages.”
Natural gas utilities and pipelines have to adhere to strict state and federal guidelines through the process of construction, testing and replacing of infrastructure, designed to safeguard system integrity and sustainability. This is true across energy infrastructure, Schwarz clarifies, whether you’re talking about natural gas or a wind farm, “that’s new infrastructure and that energy has to get somewhere.”
In order for that energy to “get somewhere” safely, she explains we have to plan accurately for long-term considerations and engage in conversations about the impacts on the surrounding community. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there,” Schwarz concedes. “So, it’s important to get the facts out there – early. I think that’s where the right decisions are made.”