20041029Press Release.pdf

IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
Case No. INT-04-, Order No. 29617
October 28, 2004
Contact: Gene Fadness [phone]
Website: www.puc.state.id.
Intermountain Gas files growth plan with commission
Boise - The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is taking comments through Nov. 16 on a five-
year gas procurement plan for Boise-based Intermountain Gas Company.
The company, which serves 242 000 customers in 74 southern Idaho communities, anticipates its
load growth at about 4 percent per year over the next five years. The company s residential and
commercial customers increased 5 percent during the first quarter of fiscal year 2004. The
company has about 9 500 miles of transmission, distribution and service lines, with more than
350 miles of those lines added in fiscal year 2003 to accommodate the company s growing
customer base.
Without an increase in capacity, the company says it will fall short of meeting its delivery needs
during peak use by about winter of 2007. The company plans to utilize a number of options to
increase the amount of gas delivered, the capacity on its pipelines and its storage capabilities.
The company plans to increase supply and capacity to three "lateral " regions where the
company has its own transmission pipelines that take gas from the major Williams Pipeline
transmission line and delivers it to communities via the Idaho Falls Lateral, the Sun Valley
Lateral and the Canyon County Lateral. In areas where the company does not have a lateral, gas
from the Williams Gas Pipeline feeds directly into city-gate stations to each of the communities
in Intermountain s southern Idaho territory.
The Idaho Falls Lateral serves a number of cities between Pocatello north to S1. Anthony. The
residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Idaho Falls Lateral represented about 20
percent of the company s total winter delivery during the winter of2003-04. A peak-day delivery
deficit is projected in this region for 2005. The company believes that deficit can be eliminated
or mitigated by working with the region s industrial customers to facilitate the use of fuel oil
during extremely cold temperatures. The company also plans some pipeline expansion to
increase supply and reliability.
In the Sun Valley region, from the interstate north to Sun Valley, the company anticipates a
peak-day shortfall by 2005 and proposes an upgrade to the existing pipeline.
In the Canyon County region, the company proj ects deficits beginning in 2006. The company is
currently exploring optional means of enhancing the distribution capability on this lateral. This
region accounted for 17 percent of the company s winter send-out in 2003-04.
The commission will proceed under a modified procedure that allows the case to be handled
through written public comments rather than by public hearing. However, comments may request
a public hearing. Those wishing to submit comments must do so by no later than Nov. 16.
Comments are accepted via e-mail by accessing the commission s homepage at
www.puc.state.id.and clicking on "Comments & Questions." Fill in the case number (INT -
04-1) and enter your comments. Comments can also be mailed to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ill
83720-0074 or faxed to [phone]. Comments should also be copied to Intermountain Gas
Market Services & Regulatory Affairs, PO Box 7608, Boise, ill, 83707 or e-mailed to
mmcgrath(fYintgas.com.
A full text of the commission s order, along with other documents related to this case, are
available on the commission s Web site noted above. Click on "File Room" and then on "Gas
Cases" and scroll down to Case No. INT -04-