October 23, 2026
In recent days, landowners in Middle Tennessee have reached out to us with letters arriving in their mailbox from Kinder-Morgan. We have reached out to the impacted counties with the following letter.
Kinder Morgan, a Houston-based pipeline company, is proposing the Southeast Connector Pipeline through Middle Tennessee. The route runs through Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Macon, DeKalb, Cannon, Warren, Coffee, Franklin and Marion counties including yours.
Landowners along the route are already getting letters from consultants working on the company's behalf. If you or a neighbor received one, don't sign anything until you know your rights. These agreements can be permanent and the first offer is rarely the best one. Talk to an attorney and to other landowners before making any decision.
Pipeline companies can use eminent domain to cut across private property whether the owner agrees or not. That's exactly why it matters to understand what you're being asked to give up and what leverage you still have.
Kinder Morgan's record should give anyone pause. Between 2013 and 2025 the company had 90 safety incidents that caused more than $53 million in property damage. Most came from problems within the company's control, like corrosion, equipment failure and faulty welds.
The gas will most likely go toward powering large data centers. Tennessee families shouldn't carry the risk and the higher energy bills so a fossil fuel company can increase its profits.
Landowners and neighbors along the route are already organizing, and communities that organize early have the best shot.
On Thursday, October 29 at 5pm ET, Sierra Club Tennessee is hosting a community mapping training. It's a great place to learn the basics of community organizing, figure out who in your area can help and connect with folks across the state working on fights like this one. No experience needed.
Please forward this to anyone you know along the route.