A developer in Laconia was turning a commercial building into 24 apartments. Late in the project, Liberty Utilities denied the building gas service. According to NHPR's April 2026 report, the developer had to look at switching to electric, which added cost and delay.

The street has gas. The house may never get it.

The City of Laconia stated the problem in its January 26, 2026 staff report. Natural gas serves only parts of greater Downtown and Lakeport. And "even though a property may abut a natural gas line, the property may not be permitted to connect to the line due to a lack of pressure and capacity."

Laconia isn't the only town affected. Liberty's moratorium page, updated in September 2026, lists eight communities: Belmont, Canterbury, Franklin, Gilford, Laconia, Northfield, Sanbornton and Tilton. Meredith isn't on the list. Some earlier news coverage counted seven towns. The current company list adds Canterbury.

Why "established volume" matters more than "has gas"

The moratorium covers more than brand-new hookups. Liberty says it applies to:

• New residential, commercial, industrial and municipal gas service connections
• Existing customers who want to add gas uses, such as heating, hot water, laundry or cooking
• Requests to increase gas load, including larger furnaces or boilers, building additions or business expansions
• Reconnections that would increase gas usage, such as after a temporary disconnection for renovations or construction

Liberty will allow reconnections "as long as gas usage does not exceed volumes previously established."

A 1960s pipe sets the limit

The limit comes down to the size of one pipeline, as Liberty's June 2026 response to Rep. Maggie Goodlander explains. The Lakes Region is fed by the "High Line," which runs from Concord north to Tilton. About 12 miles of the original 22-mile, 6-inch line have been replaced with 12-inch pipe. Roughly 10 miles of the original 6-inch pipe remain between Canterbury, Northfield and Tilton. Liberty says that section has reached its design limits, and peak demand downstream now equals the supply available.

Laconia's staff report gives the history. The line was built in the 1960s and didn't anticipate the region's growth. Instead of upgrading it, Liberty built a plant in Tilton that tops up supply with LNG brought in by truck. That plant was meant to supplement the line, and it now runs continuously all winter.

Housing approvals have kept coming anyway. The New Hampshire Bulletin reported in January 2026 that Tilton's land-use coordinator counted nearly 400 residences approved in the prior year, while developers couldn't get gas connections.

The timeline, and what is confirmed versus targeted

Liberty's own description of the temporary tank is cautious. In its June response, the company said trucked LNG will be vaporized and fed into the system, and that this may provide only partial relief. Its September update says that as the tank gets close to running, Liberty will reach out to people already on its waitlist, and that engineering review will decide new service project by project. So the tank coming online may get some waitlisted projects connected. It doesn't mean the moratorium is over.

The PUC is now involved. Goodlander's October 16 release says the commission agreed to take up the Lakes Region denials in Liberty's distribution rate case. Her written questions ask about the policy's scope, the number of denials, the LNG tank's capacity and cost, and the upgrade schedule. The docket page is public. Its most recent filings deal with temporary rates, not the moratorium.

Laconia Village is planning around the same pipe

The moratorium touches Laconia's largest planned development too. Pillsbury Realty Development plans Laconia Village on about 217 acres of the former State School property along Parade Road. The plan calls for more than 2,000 homes, a mixed-use gateway with a grocery store, a civic campus and trails, built in five phases. The city approved the master plan in November 2025.

The Laconia Daily Sun reported what project manager Kevin Smith told the City Council. He said construction would begin at the end of 2027 at the earliest, and more likely in 2028. Each phase still needs its own site plan approval. Before Phase I can move forward, the state DOT has to sign off on the overall traffic plan and the sewer issue has to be resolved. A councilor asked about the gas moratorium. Smith said the team would "look at all potential options that are on the table, not just propane." He also said his understanding was that the area would not have natural gas for seven to 10 years. That estimate runs longer than Liberty's 2029 target. The pipeline is the bottleneck either way.

What to ask before you write the offer

1. Is gas service active, and what runs on it today? Check service availability and your project's eligibility with Liberty.
2. For multi-family or conversion deals, has the seller or a prior owner already asked Liberty for service? If so, find out where that request stands on the waitlist.
3. If gas isn't available, what will heat the building? Get real numbers for propane or electric heat into your budget before you commit to a price.

On the electric side, NHSaves offers air-source heat pump rebates.

Quick answers

What does Liberty say about service to current customers? Liberty says its existing 6-inch pipeline can safely keep serving current customers at the usage they already have.

Is Meredith included? Meredith isn't on the eight-town list in Liberty's September 2026 update.

How many people have been denied service? NHPR reported at least 18 denials as of April 2026. Goodlander's October filing asks Liberty for a full count.

If you're weighing a home or multi-family building in Laconia, Gilford or Belmont, gas service is one of the first things to check, before the inspection and the appraisal. Michelle Gannon can help you find out what a property already has. Contact Michelle to discuss your next move.