Pipelines

Arizona regulators are expected to finish their current review and decide whether to beef up the state’s natural gas infrastructure, including first-ever storage, by some time in September, a Phoenix-based spokesperson for the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) said Monday.

Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) approved new tolls for TransCanada PipeLines’ Mainline for this year that include slightly lower charges in TransCanada’s Eastern Zone but an increase in the minimum bid floor price for interruptible transportation service to 110% of firm from 80%, to provide an incentive for shippers to sign up for firm capacity.

Duke Energy said it is selling its 50% stake in Foothills Pipe Lines to TransCanada PipeLines for $177 million (C$257 million), including $105 million (C$152 million) in Foothills debt. Duke obtained the Foothills interest when it purchased Westcoast Energy in 2002 (see Daily GPI, Sept. 21, 2001; Feb. 28, 2002).

Natural gas pipelines added a record 12.8 Bcf/d of new transportation capacity during 2002, but the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a special report predicts the feverish pace will slow over the next several years due to the downturn in the economy, project cancellations and postponements by power generators and the grim financial state of the energy industry.

Natural gas pipelines added a record 12.8 Bcf/d of new transportation capacity during 2002, but the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a special report predicts the feverish pace will slow over the next several years due to the downturn in the economy, project cancellations and postponements by power generators and the grim financial state of the energy industry.

By seeking to significantly restrict the contacts of regulated natural gas pipelines and power transmission with their energy affiliates, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could be trading one set of problems — affiliate misconduct — for another set of problems dealing with “corporate governance,” three energy associations warned the agency.

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. said late Friday that it is applying to the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the National Energy Board’s (NEB) RH-R-1-2002 Decision issued Feb. 20, which dismissed the company’s request for a review of the board’s June 2002 decision on TransCanada’s 2002 Fair Return Application.

Two more Canadian firms, TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. and BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust of Toronto, have teamed with prior interest holder, Cameco Corp. of Saskatoon, Canada, to buy 79.8% of the massive Ontario-based nuclear power facility, Bruce Power L.P., from the financially ailing British Energy for an estimated $376 million.

Two Duke Energy Gas Transmission (DEGT) pipeline affiliates have asked FERC for the green light to broaden an already-certificated project and to build a loop expansion to increase transportation service to “two high-growth areas” — the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.