PacifiCorp Energy Canada’s Enstor division said last week that it has acquired Dominion Canada’s 40% stake in the Alberta Hub natural gas storage facility. The company’s affiliate, PacifiCorp Power Marketing Inc. (PPM), said it plans to market the capacity and add more storage facilities to its portfolio in the near future. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Enstor is now offering storage services at the facility, an excellent platform for our gas storage business in the Western half of North America,” said Terry Hudgens, PPM’s CEO. “Market conditions in the gas business present an opportunity for growth for PPM, and hub services provide flexibility for customers.”

Located 80 miles west of Edmonton, AB, the Alberta hub is a major underground gas storage facility that is connected to the largest pipeline in the province, which is operated by TransCanada Pipelines Limited. The storage facility currently serves about 20 customers — including producers, utilities, natural gas marketing companies and end users — in Western Canada and the Western U.S. The Alberta Hub Joint Venture is owned by PacifiCorp Energy Canada, Ltd., Texaco Canada Petroleum Inc., and Unocal Canada Alberta Hub Ltd.

PPM said that with increased demand for natural gas from the gas-fired electric power generation segment, it expects to add several gas storage facilities to its business portfolio over the next few years.

A spokeswoman for the company said that PacifiCorp is not currently targeting any specific assets at this time, but that the company is definitely looking to build its portfolio for a “sustained diversified and disciplined growth.”

In other company news, PPM said earlier in the month that it had reached an agreement with the Eugene Water & Electric Board to supply the city with 25 MW of wind power capacity. Under the life of the contract, PPM will power about 4,800 Eugene homes for the next 25 years, based on expected annual output from the turbines.

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