Franklin County is among 10 Tennessee counties included in the proposed route of Southern Natural Gas Company’s Southeast Connector Project, according to company materials provided to 931Go.
The Tennessee portion would include approximately 150 miles of large-diameter natural gas pipeline, along with compressor facilities used to move gas through the system. Nearby Coffee and Marion counties are also listed along the proposed route.
Southern Natural Gas is operated by Kinder Morgan and owned equally by subsidiaries of Kinder Morgan and Southern Company. The company describes Southeast Connector as a response to growing demand for natural gas across the Southeast.
The project remains a proposal. Its Tennessee fact sheet lists an estimated schedule calling for a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pre-filing request in the fourth quarter of 2026, a certificate application in the third quarter of 2027 and construction beginning in the fourth quarter of 2028.
The fact sheet places the proposed start of service in the fourth quarter of 2030. A separate Southern Natural Gas notice published Sept. 16 identifies Nov. 1, 2030, as the earliest anticipated service date and says the actual timing depends on regulatory approvals and completion of construction.
For property owners, a request to survey land is an early planning step. FERC’s landowner guidance explains that permission to survey alone does not give a company permission to build a pipeline on the property. Survey areas can also extend beyond the land ultimately needed for construction.
The company says landowners will be assigned a land agent and that the project will include opportunities for public feedback. The materials reviewed do not identify a Franklin County public meeting date, a public-comment deadline or a county-specific count of affected properties.
Company materials also anticipate new local property-tax revenue and construction-related spending. They do not provide a Franklin County revenue estimate.
Residents seeking information about the federal review process can contact FERC’s Office of External Affairs at 866-208-3372. FERC also publishes a landowner guide explaining its review process and opportunities to participate.
