Gas and winter power demand records fell throughout the eastern United States during the week ending Jan. 24, according to multiple local gas distribution companies, power utilities, electric grid operators and pipeline companies. Williams subsidiary Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco), which serves the entire East Coast region, said last week that it set a new peak gas transportation record on seven out of 10 days from Jan. 15-24.

On Jan. 23, Transco shattered its one-day record of 7.32 MMDth set on March 4, 2002. The new single day record is 8.34 MMDth, which represents enough natural gas to heat more than 30 million homes on an average day.

In addition to setting a new one-day record, recent deliveries also resulted in a new record three-day average, the pipeline said. The new average for a three-day peak is 7.78 MMDth/d, established Jan. 22-24. The previous three-day peak record was 6.76 MMDth/d between Jan. 1-3, 2002.

“We’ve seen a lot of cold weather so far this year. We anticipated the increased demand and made appropriate preparations for it,” said Frank Ferazzi, Transco customer service vice president. “Three expansion projects that were placed into service in 2002 helped us meet all of our firm commitments. These projects increased capacity by a combined 496,000 Dth/d in key markets along our system.”

Pipeline deliveries from Transco account for nearly two-thirds of the natural gas consumed in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 10,500-mile pipeline system extends from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and offshore Gulf of Mexico through Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the New York City metro area. Utilities in many of those locations reported record breaking demand (see NGI, Jan. 27).

Washington Gas Light Co., KeySpan Energy in New York and Long Island and Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) in New Jersey all reported new records for sendout, and numerous power grid operators said they also were setting new winter peaks Jan. 21-27.

January 23 went into the record books for Washington Gas Light Co. when sub-freezing temperatures gripped the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. WGL reported deliveries of 1.4 Bcf of natural gas to its customers on that day, surpassing the company’s previous record send-out of 1.3 Bcf set on Jan.19, 1994. That compares to a typical January day when the company would expect to deliver about 900 MMcf.

KeySpan’s New York City facilities, located in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens, hit a natural gas demand all-time high of 1.1 MMDth on Jan. 23. KeySpan also topped a record in its Long Island gas operations.

And PSE&G in New Jersey also had record natural gas deliveries Jan. 23, sending 2,425 MMcf/d to its customers. The low temperature that day in the company’s service area was 13.4 degrees.

PJM Interconnection reported that the average temperature throughout its entire Mid Atlantic region service territory on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. was 17 degrees. That was the day after the grid operator set a new winter peak send out of 55,031 MW. While high by winter standards, the record deliveries didn’t approach PJM’s summer peak record of 63,777 MW set Aug. 14, 2002.

ISO New England also topped the previous years’ winter record on four out of seven days from the Jan. 21-27 with send-outs of 21,486 MW, 21,597 MW (standing record), 21,372 and 21,370. All were above the previous winter peak record of 21,176 MW set on Jan. 17, 2000. But New England’s all-time summer peak record came on Aug. 14, 2002 with a 25,348 MW send-out.

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