Terasen Gas
Encyclopedia
FortisBC Energy, Inc., formerly known as Terasen Gas, is the largest distributor of natural gas
in British Columbia
, Canada
, serving approximately 920,000 customers in over 125 communities. The company owns and operates 44,100 kilometres of gas distribution pipelines and 4,300 kilometres of gas transmission pipelines. Its service territory includes Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the southern interior of the province. Terasen Gas is regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC)
.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis Inc.
, Terasen, together with its subsidiaries, is one of the largest
distributors of natural gas in the Pacific Northwest and an emerging leader in alternative energy solutions in British Columbia. Together, Terasen Gas and FortisBC deliver over 20% of total energy consumed in B.C. and serve more than 1.1 million customers in more than 135 communities.
Terasen Gas also develops alternative energy
systems such as geoexchange and district energy
systems for communities and municipalities and is also beginning to develop biogas
from landfill and agricultural waste.
Effective March 1, 2011, Terasen has been renamed FortisBC, as both companies are owned by Fortis Inc.
, a Canadian, investor-owned corporation. Terasen Gas is the common name of Terasen Gas Inc., Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc. and Terasen Gas (Whistler) Inc. Terasen group of companies include: Terasen Gas, Terasen Energy Services (TES) and Terasen Measurement
.
.
The program is managed by Terasen Gas, but overseen by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), the provincial agency responsible for regulating utility companies.
It operates approximately 48,000 km of pipelines, 11 compressor stations, and a liquified natural gas terminal in Delta, B.C. The distribution network also includes several underwater pipeline crossings, including under the Columbia and Fraser rivers and the Strait of Georgia.
The company’s newest natural gas pipeline, the Whistler Pipeline, was built in conjunction with the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project, which was completed for the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The pipeline falls mainly within the highway right of way and brings natural gas to the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which was formerly served by propane.
The site, which consists of approximately 42.7 hectares, was favoured by the community and public opinions gathered at open house sessions. The pipeline to the Terasen Gas mainline will not significantly affect local property or cross any streams or rivers.
When the facility is complete in the summer of 2011, it will have capacity to store 1.5 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas.
In hot weather the process is reversed with the loop carrying heat away from the building and into the ground where it is stored in the earth. Terasen builds, owns and operates geoexchange systems for multi-residential, commercial, and industrial developments. Projects include: Flatiron, Vancouver, Waterstone Pier, Richmond, and Wakefield Beach, Sechelt.
Heat generated in the process can be distributed to multiple nearby buildings for heating and hot water. As biomass decomposes naturally, it releases carbon dioxide. Modern techniques for burning biomass result in no net increase in carbon dioxide.
Terasen Gas and the City of Quesnel have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to conduct feasibility work on the Quesnel Community Energy System, a biomass system that will use waste heat and left-over residues from milling at West Fraser Timber’s Quesnel sawmill to generate both heat and electricity. The feasibility work will be conducted in cooperation with the City of Quesnel, Terasen Gas, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and BC Hydro.
Terasen Gas is exploring the development of biogas as a renewable energy source. Pilot projects include:
Terasen Gas has applied to the BCUC to provide customers with an optional biogas offering that will contain a 10% biogas blend.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, serving approximately 920,000 customers in over 125 communities. The company owns and operates 44,100 kilometres of gas distribution pipelines and 4,300 kilometres of gas transmission pipelines. Its service territory includes Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the southern interior of the province. Terasen Gas is regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC)
British Columbia Utilities Commission
The British Columbia Utilities Commission is an agency of the government of the Province of British Columbia responsible for regulating rates and standards of service quality. The Commission's primary responsibility is the regulation of British Columbia's natural gas and electricity utilities...
.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis Inc.
Fortis Inc.
Fortis Inc. is a St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador based international diversified electric utility holding company. It primarily operates in Canada and the Caribbean. In 2005, it earned a profit of $137.1 million Canadian from revenue of $1.44 billion....
, Terasen, together with its subsidiaries, is one of the largest
distributors of natural gas in the Pacific Northwest and an emerging leader in alternative energy solutions in British Columbia. Together, Terasen Gas and FortisBC deliver over 20% of total energy consumed in B.C. and serve more than 1.1 million customers in more than 135 communities.
Terasen Gas also develops alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
systems such as geoexchange and district energy
Distributed generation
Distributed generation, also called on-site generation, dispersed generation, embedded generation, decentralized generation, decentralized energy or distributed energy, generates electricity from many small energy sources....
systems for communities and municipalities and is also beginning to develop biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
from landfill and agricultural waste.
Effective March 1, 2011, Terasen has been renamed FortisBC, as both companies are owned by Fortis Inc.
History
Terasen Gas is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc.Fortis Inc.
Fortis Inc. is a St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador based international diversified electric utility holding company. It primarily operates in Canada and the Caribbean. In 2005, it earned a profit of $137.1 million Canadian from revenue of $1.44 billion....
, a Canadian, investor-owned corporation. Terasen Gas is the common name of Terasen Gas Inc., Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc. and Terasen Gas (Whistler) Inc. Terasen group of companies include: Terasen Gas, Terasen Energy Services (TES) and Terasen Measurement
Terasen Measurement
Established in 2003, and based in Penticton, British Columbia, Terasen Measurement is a business unit of Terasen Gas, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., the largest investor owned utility in gas and electric distribution in Canada....
.
- 1952: Inland Natural Gas was incorporated to distribute natural gas throughout the interior of British Columbia. The company purchased several subsidiaries, including: St. John Oil and Gas, Peace River Transmission, Canadian Northern Oil and Gas, and Grand Prairie Transmission.
- 1980s: Inland Natural Gas purchased the Lower Mainland gas division from BC HydroBC HydroThe BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
and changed its name to BC Gas, serving 546,000 customers in 70 communities across BC. - 2002: BC Gas purchased Centra Gas BC Inc. and Centra Gas Whistler Inc. adding 75,000 natural gas customers on the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, and 2,000 piped propane customers in Whistler.
- 2003: BC Gas Inc. became Terasen Inc.
- On May 17, 2007, Fortis Inc. acquired Terasen Inc. from Kinder MorganKinder MorganKinder Morgan, Inc. is an American energy company. It is also, through a subsidiary, the general partner of and owner of many of the interests in Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, a publicly traded pipeline and terminal limited partnership....
, which owned the corporation since 2005.
Leadership
- John Walker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Terasen Inc., FortisBC Inc. and Terasen Gas
- Dwain Bell, Vice President, Distribution (Gas), Terasen Gas
- David C. Bennett, Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Terasen Inc. and Fortis BC Inc.
- Roger Dall'Antonia, Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer (Gas), Terasen Inc.
- Don Debienne, Vice President, Resource Planning, FortisBC
- Cynthia Des Brisay, Vice President, Energy Supply & Gas Transmission, Terasen Gas
- Michele Leeners, Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer (Electric). FortisBC
- Jan Marston, Vice President, Customer Care, Terasen Gas & FortisBC
- Michael Mulcahy, Executive Vice President, Customer & Corporate Services, FortisBC
- Doyle Sam, Vice President, Engineering and Operations (Electric), FortisBC
- Robert M. Samels, Vice President, Business Planning, Terasen Gas
- Doug Stout, Vice President, Energy Solutions & External Relations, Terasen Gas & FortisBC
- Scott A. Thomson, Executive Vice President, Finance, Regulatory & Energy Supply, Terasen Inc. and Terasen Gas.
Board of directors
- H. Stanley Marshall (Chairman), President & Chief Executive Officer, Fortis Inc.
- Harold Calla, Chair, First Nations Financial Management Board
- Beth Campbell, Owner, Best Western Inn, Penticton
- Brenda Eaton, Chair, BC Housing
- Ida J. Goodreau, President and Chief Executive Officer, LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services
- Roger Mayer, Owner, Real Estate Company, Keremeos
- Harry McWatters, President, Vintage Consulting Group
- Barry V. Perry, Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer, Fortis Inc.
- Linda S. Petch, President, Petch & Associates Management Consultants Ltd.
- David R. Podmore, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Concert Properties Ltd.
- John Walker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Terasen Inc., the Terasen Group of Companies, and FortisBC Inc.
Regulation
Terasen Gas is a regulated utility in British Columbia. Rates and operations are regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC)British Columbia Utilities Commission
The British Columbia Utilities Commission is an agency of the government of the Province of British Columbia responsible for regulating rates and standards of service quality. The Commission's primary responsibility is the regulation of British Columbia's natural gas and electricity utilities...
.
Rates
Terasen Gas does not explore for or extract natural gas; rather, the company purchases natural gas on the open market and distributes it to customers without any markup on the commodity price. Delivery rates cover the costs associated with pipeline maintenance, customer service and meter reading. Natural gas commodity rates are reviewed quarterly with the BCUC while delivery and midstream rates are reviewed annually.Customer Choice
Formerly known as the commodity unbundling option, Customer Choice was made available to business customers in 2004. In 2007, responding to requests from customers who wanted the opportunity to choose how and where they purchased their natural gas, Customer Choice was then offered to residents. This marked the first time in BC that customers were allowed to choose who they purchased their natural gas from: Terasen Gas, which offered variable rates; or independent gas marketers offering fixed rates.The program is managed by Terasen Gas, but overseen by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), the provincial agency responsible for regulating utility companies.
Natural Gas
Terasen Gas is the largest distributor of natural gas in British Columbia, serving over 940,000 customers in the Lower Mainland (Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley), Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, and the Interior of the province from the US border to Chetwynd, B.C. Terasen Gas also serves the northern community of Fort Nelson, B.C.It operates approximately 48,000 km of pipelines, 11 compressor stations, and a liquified natural gas terminal in Delta, B.C. The distribution network also includes several underwater pipeline crossings, including under the Columbia and Fraser rivers and the Strait of Georgia.
The company’s newest natural gas pipeline, the Whistler Pipeline, was built in conjunction with the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project, which was completed for the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The pipeline falls mainly within the highway right of way and brings natural gas to the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which was formerly served by propane.
Mt. Hayes Storage Facility
Terasen Gasis currently constructing a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility west of Mt. Hayes on Vancouver Island, approximately 6 km northwest of Ladysmith.The site, which consists of approximately 42.7 hectares, was favoured by the community and public opinions gathered at open house sessions. The pipeline to the Terasen Gas mainline will not significantly affect local property or cross any streams or rivers.
When the facility is complete in the summer of 2011, it will have capacity to store 1.5 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas.
Alternative Energy Services
Terasen Gas develops and operates geoexchange and district energy systems. Projects include Dockside Green, Victoria, and Athlete’s Village, Whistler. Dockside Green is set to be North America’s first greenhouse gas neutral community.District Energy Systems
District energy systems produce steam, hot water, or chilled water at a central plant, then pipe that energy into buildings in the district for space heating, domestic hot water heating and air conditioning. There are various potential energy sources: geoexchange, biomass, and sewer and landfill gas.Geoexchange
The earth absorbs and stores heat from the sun. This stored energy can then be used in geoexchange heating and cooling systems. Fluid is circulated to absorb heat from the surrounding soil or ground water which is then concentrated and transferred to the building to provide space and hot water heating.In hot weather the process is reversed with the loop carrying heat away from the building and into the ground where it is stored in the earth. Terasen builds, owns and operates geoexchange systems for multi-residential, commercial, and industrial developments. Projects include: Flatiron, Vancouver, Waterstone Pier, Richmond, and Wakefield Beach, Sechelt.
Biomass
Biomass power plants use wood and wood by-products from forestry and sawmills, methane from landfills, and animal manure from farms, to generate energy. Like geoexchange, biomass systems can provide both heat and power. In the simplest method of converting biomass into energy, organic matter is burned in a boiler to make steam which then turns a turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator that produces electricity.Heat generated in the process can be distributed to multiple nearby buildings for heating and hot water. As biomass decomposes naturally, it releases carbon dioxide. Modern techniques for burning biomass result in no net increase in carbon dioxide.
Terasen Gas and the City of Quesnel have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to conduct feasibility work on the Quesnel Community Energy System, a biomass system that will use waste heat and left-over residues from milling at West Fraser Timber’s Quesnel sawmill to generate both heat and electricity. The feasibility work will be conducted in cooperation with the City of Quesnel, Terasen Gas, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and BC Hydro.
Biogas
Biogas is produced when organic material from sources such as landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, agriculture and industry decomposes. When it is cleaned and upgraded, it is called biomethane.Terasen Gas is exploring the development of biogas as a renewable energy source. Pilot projects include:
- a project with Catalyst Power in Abbotsford, BC, to produce biomethane from farm waste
- a project with the Salmon Arm landfill in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) to capture and upgrade landfill gasLandfill gasLandfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...
into biomethane. The project is expected to produce enough gas to heat about 300 homes in the surrounding area
Terasen Gas has applied to the BCUC to provide customers with an optional biogas offering that will contain a 10% biogas blend.