Natural Gas News – December 6, 2017

Natural Gas News – December 6, 2017

Liberty Utilities Proposes $340 Million Underground Natural Gas Pipeline Project

WMUR reported: EPPING, N.H. — Liberty Utilities wants to build an underground pipeline to bring natural gas to New Hampshire customers. The Granite Bridge Project would bring natural gas to customers through a pipeline between Stratham and Manchester. The pipeline would be built completely on state property, completely buried within the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s right of way along Route 101. Liberty Utilities said the $340 million proposal would cause bill increases of $2.67 per month for the average customer but that the project would lower heating bills over time. The plan also calls for a storage facility in Epping, which would allow the company to buy natural gas in the summer when it’s cheaper and use it in the winter, when prices are higher. Liberty Utilities said it’s nearing capacity on its existing pipeline and that this would encourage business development.

Mississippi’s Largest Gas Utility to Raise Rates for 260,000

The Houston Chronicle reported: JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Natural gas bills will rise beginning Jan. 1 for customers of Mississippi’s largest gas utility, after regulators approved plans Tuesday for Dallasbased Atmos Energy Corp to raise rates on its 260,000 Mississippi customers. Rates for a yardstick residential customer should go up by more than $2 a month, with most of the money going to pay for Atmos to repair and replace aging pipes and infrastructure. Atmos spokesman Robert Lesley said bills for a yardstick residential customer would rise from $51.54 now to $54.38, but Brandi Myrick of the Public Utilities Staff said almost $1 of that amount would be offset by other money Atmos will be refunding. Separately, Atmos will spend $5 million next year with the goal of adding 1,000 residential customers. The increases are projected to raise the company’s revenue by about $9 million next year.