Kinder Morgan Inc.‘s Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC (NGPL) has made binding agreements with Antero Resources, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Occidental Energy Marketing Inc. for incremental firm transportation service on its Gulf Coast mainline system from the Rockies Express Pipeline (REX) interconnection in Moultrie County, IL, to points north on the NGPL system. The commitments support the first phase of NGPL’s Chicago Market Expansion, which would increase capacity by 238,000 Dth/d and provide service to markets near Chicago (see Daily GPI, Oct. 16, 2014). The contracts are for an average term of more than 11 years. “This phase of the expansion project meets the current natural gas transportation needs of the Chicago-area markets and Northeast producers by providing competitive rates from the expanded REX interconnection to the Chicago area,” said NGPL President David Devine. “We continue to have the ability to provide additional capacity northbound, as well as southbound to Gulf Coast markets, with further cost-effective expansions.” NGPL intends to file a 7(c) certificate application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in June, with the project expected to be in service in November 2016. For information contact Mark Menis, director of business development, at cmep@kindermorgan.com, or (630) 725-3052, or visit www.kindermorgan.com.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has launched a public comment period through May 4 on an updated integrated resource plan (IRP) by MDU Resources Inc.‘s Intermountain Gas Co., which is projecting an increased demand growth rate of 2.32% annually over the next five years (see Daily GPI, July 23, 2013). Intermountain said it does not anticipate any peak-day delivery deficits during the next five years for its nearly one million customers that it serves in southern Idaho. Intermountain receives its supplies from Northwest Pipeline Co.