Washington Water Power affiliate Avista Laboratories Inc., adeveloper of fuel cells with proton exchange membrane (PEM)technology for distributed power markets, announced the receipt ofa $2 million technology development award from the Department ofCommerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Advanced Technology Program (ATP).

Of 67 competing applicants, Avista Labs was selected as one of13 projects to partner with the ATP in the development of premiumpower solutions and receive the ATP Premium Power program support.

With Avista Labs’ parent company, Washington Water Power, addingto the ATP award another $1.22 million over a two-year period,Avista Labs plans to work on technology that will increase theenergy density of its fuel cell design, providing more power in thesame footprint. Avista Labs will also develop multiple fuelprocessing approaches using propane, methane and methanol as basefuels to integrate into its fuel cell subsystem.

Transportation Notes

Transwestern tentatively has scheduled maintenance on the SanJuan Lateral for Oct. 26-30. It will run cleaning pigs fromBloomfield Compressor Station to the mainline, reducing lateralcapacity by about 625 MMcf/d to 175 MMcf/d.

Florida Gas Transmission said Oct. 14-15 maintenance at theTransco-Vinton (LA) interconnect in Zone 1 will limit receiptsthere to 85,000 MMbtu/d.

Pacific Gas & Electric extended a high-inventory OFO thatbegan Thursday through today.

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