Peak-day shortfalls on two of its pipeline laterals could occur in 2011 and 2012, given current supply-demand analyses in an integrated resource plan (IRP) filed with Idaho regulators by Intermountain Gas. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said Monday it will take comments on the utility’s IRP through Sept. 4.

Boise, ID-based Intermountain experienced 5% growth in its residential and commercial customer groups last year and now serves more than 300,000 customers in southern Idaho. In its resource plan the utility estimates that future growth will average about 4% annually. In its customer mix, industrial load consumes 43% of its total annual sendout.

“Many of the company’s customers are served directly off the Williams Northwest Gas Pipeline coming into Idaho from Wyoming generally following the Snake River in southern Idaho,” the PUC said. Intermountain owns several laterals coming off the main Williams interstate pipeline, and two of the three largest laterals are where the utility sees possible problems during peak-demand periods in the future.

Without adding a new compressor station by 2011 on one lateral — Sun Valley — the utility could experience “natural gas delivery deficits on some days of peak use,” the IRP said. Similarly, there could be shortfalls on another lateral — Canyon County — because of a current bottleneck. Intermountain is considering adding a parallel pipeline in the area to boost capacity.

The PUC said the utility’s resource plan anticipates continued “steady” growth during the next five years that ultimately it feels is manageable. The PUC will assess the comments it receives and then determine what of the utility plan to approve.

In Idaho each private-sector energy utility is required to file an updated IRP every two years.

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