Boise

An annual increase of 1.75% in its peak-day gas loads through 2015 is projected by Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas Co. in a five-year planning document submitted recently to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Given planned upgrades over the next five years, Intermountain sees no peak-day challenges.

With the increasing attractiveness of natural gas as an alternative transportation fuel, MDU Resources’ Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas Corp. has asked state regulators to clarify their jurisdiction regarding the sale of gas supplies to third-party nonutility resellers of the fuel. Various suppliers of gas for transportation have approached Intermountain of late.

Northwest reported encountering numerous difficulties due to terrain conditions in the rerouting of its 22-inch diameter mainline near Boise, ID. As a result, the corresponding outage has been moved from Wednesday of this week to Nov. 18, and in an effort to reduce customer impacts, Northwest has also rescheduled a Lava Hot Springs Compressor Station engine exchange to Nov. 18-19. Anomaly investigations between the Cisco and Moab compressor stations are still under evaluation, the pipeline said. At this time Northwest does not anticipate any customer impacts related to this project but said that if this outlook should change, it will notify customers as soon as possible.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has authorized Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas to raise its surcharge covering its gas costs for the first time in two years. Effective Wednesday, Intermountain’s overall revenues increased $54.3 million.

Effective Wednesday Northwest will reduce available capacity at the Boise (ID) Compressor Station from 499,000 Dth/d to 425,000 Dth/d due to damage sustained by Unit #2 this past weekend. Emergency repairs are under way and the unit is expected to be placed back in service Friday, Northwest said.

Citing lower wholesale gas prices in 2007, Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas told the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) it can lower its retail gas utility rates for the second consecutive year. Intermountain has proposed an 8.1% cut. The PUC has asked for comments from stakeholders and the general public by Sept. 18.

Boise-based IDACORP, parent company of Idaho Power, disclosed that it is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for potentially engaging in round-trip or wash trading, which is designed primarily to boost trading volumes to create the appearance of a larger trading operation.

Boise-based IDACORP, parent company of Idaho Power, disclosed that it is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for potentially engaging in round-trip or wash trading, which is designed primarily to boost trading volumes to create the appearance of a larger trading operation.

The energy merchant sector took another hit Friday, after Boise-based IDACORP Inc. announced plans to wind down its power marketing business and cut in half its 120-member trading staff in the next year and a half. The decision was made to reaffirm “its commitment to maintain a strong investment credit rating.” IDACORP’s news mirrored announcements by Aquila Inc. to close its Merchant Services unit on Tuesday, and Dynegy Corp.’s decision to stop online trading on Wednesday (see Daily GPI, June 19; June 21).