The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last Monday gave Northwest Pipeline Corp. the go-ahead to place its Everett Delta Lateral into service in Washington state.

Puget Sound Energy Inc., initially a secondary customer on the lateral, committed itself to the entire 113,117 Dth/d of the capacity created by the line after Northwest Power Co., the original anchor shipper, backed out of the project when it placed on hold the construction of a 248 MW power plant.

The Bellevue, WA-based combined utility said the 9.15-mile, 16-inch diameter line will be a critical component in providing reliable service to its customers in north Seattle during this winter heating season. Puget Sound Energy will reimburse Northwest Pipeline, a subsidiary of Williams Cos., for the $24.6 million cost of the lateral [CP01-49].

The lateral facilities, which tap into Puget Sound’s distribution system in Snohomish County, WA, will be owned by Puget Sound Energy, but they will be leased to Northwest Pipeline under a five-year agreement and operated by the 4,000-mile pipeline. At the end of the lease, Puget Sound Energy will incorporate the Everett Delta Lateral facilities into its distribution system.

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