Natural

Natural gas and power markets are ‘cautiously optimistic’ as they approach the upcoming winter, according to the 2016-2017 Winter Energy Market Assessment released Thursday by FERC’s Office of Enforcement (OE).

Natural gas infrastructure growth may be outpacing efforts to find more supply-demand balance through U.S. gas exports, according to a panel of experts at the recent LDC Gas Forum Rockies & West in Denver conference.

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) has elected Dominion Energy President Diane Leopold chairman of the INGAA board for a term running until October 2017. She is the first woman to hold the title in INGAA’s 70-year history. “…Diane will be at the forefront of our industry’s efforts to promote pipelines as the essential link in achieving natural gas’ potential as a solution to the nation’s energy, environmental and economic challenges,” said INGAA CEO Don Santa. Leopold joined Dominion Resources, the parent company of Dominion Energy, in 1995. During her 21-year career at Dominion, she has held leadership roles in operational, project management, commercial and financial management positions in several Dominion business units. As president of Dominion Energy, Leopold is responsible for more than 12,000 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline in eight states, 22,000 miles of distribution pipelines, 1.3 million natural gas customers and one of the largest natural gas storage systems in the U.S. She also is a board member of the American Gas Association. INGAA’s board also elected Jeff Bruner, president of Iroquois Pipeline Operating Co., as first vice chairman; and Frank Ferazzi, vice president and general manager of eastern interstates for Williams-Transco, as second vice chair.

Besides helping to lower carbon emissions, the continued growth of cheap natural gas-fired power generation in the United States in 2016 seems to be lowering residential electric bills as well.

Regulators with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) have approved Duke Energy Corp.’s acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas Inc. The merger is expected to close Monday.

DTE Energy Co. plans to build natural gas-fired power plants in Michigan to replace coal-fired plants it intends to retire there by 2023.

Beleaguered German automaker Volkswagen AG has found itself in a new public controversy among its natural gas-powered vehicles in Europe, which are part of a large recall of VW natural gas vehicles (NGV). VW has no NGV sales in the United States.

Cheniere Energy Partners LP said Friday that the second train of the Sabine Pass liquefaction project in Cameron Parish, LA is “substantially complete.” Commissioning has been completed, and Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals Inc. is turning over care, custody and control of Train 2 to Cheniere Partners. The turnover will be done in coordination with a planned outage to improve performance of the flare systems at the project, as well as to perform scheduled maintenance to Train 1 and other facilities. Under a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Gas Natural Fenosa LNG GOM Ltd. (GNF), the date of first commercial delivery for Train 2 is expected to occur in August 2017, upon which the SPA’s 20-year term begins. GNF has rights to early cargos prior to that date (see Daily GPI,Nov. 22, 2011).

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) has stepped up in support of two pipeline projects in New York State, pushing back against environmentalist objections to one and arguing for approval of a delayed state air permit for another.