New Mexico developer stopped installing gas lines at Metro Verde to cut costs
John Moscato, a land developer in Las Cruces, N.M., said he stopped installing natural gas lines at Metro Verde, a 2,200-acre development, about four years ago and that the decision saved his company roughly $3,000 per lot and sped delivery of sites to homebuilders. Mr. Moscato said foregoing gas lowered construction costs and allowed the company to deliver sites more quickly, yielding a faster investment return.
He said the initial roughly 2,500 homes at Metro Verde already had gas, and the approximately 4,000 remaining sites would not. Mr. Moscato added, “If we had done this sooner, it would have been better.” He described installing gas lines as an “ongoing headache,” citing delays from restrictions on welding pipes in windy conditions and repeated inspections that added months to schedules.
His company develops land into lots and installs utilities, curbs and gutters before selling sites to homebuilders. The move sits against a broader backdrop: New Mexico is a major oil and gas producer and, according to the Energy Information Administration, about 60 percent of households use natural gas as their primary heating source.
RMI, the research group formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Institute, found the share of all-electric homes rose to 25 percent in 2020 from 18.8 percent in 2009, new single-family homes with electric space heating rose to 52 percent by 2024, and 76 percent of new multifamily homes use electric space heating.
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