Columbia Gulf Transmission began construction of a new pipelineto serve three Entergy Louisiana generating plants. Columbia Gulfwill deliver up to 100,000 Dth/d to the plants west of New Orleansalong the Mississippi River. Service is to begin in December.

“This project will be Columbia Gulf’s third venture intoelectric power generation, which is a growing market for us,” saidPresident Terrance L. McGill. “Earlier this year we announced anagreement to deliver up to 240,000 Dth/d of natural gas to theTennessee Valley Authority’s electric generation plant nearGallatin, TN. And since 1996, we have provided natural gastransportation service to two Central Louisiana electric powerplants.”

The 16-inch-diameter, seven-mile pipeline will begin at theterminus of Columbia Gulf’s Paradis Line in St. Charles Parish, LA,and interconnect with Evangeline Gas Pipeline L.P., also in St.Charles Parish. Columbia Gulf will own and operate the new pipelinealong with 2,700 hp of additional compression and a measurementstation that it plans to install. A spokesman said the company didnot know whether future interconnects to the line would beconstructed. The project will cost about $11 million, includingcompression. Rates to existing customers will not be impacted.

The Entergy plants to be served are Little Gypsy, with 1,250 MWof capacity per hour; Ninemile, 1,800 MW; and Waterford, 820 MW.”What this new line will do is provide additional competition inthe transportation of gas and just provide additional options,” anEntergy spokeswoman said.

Joe Fisher, Houston

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