ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
Palomar Gas Transmission is a partnership between NW Natural and TransCanada. NW Natural is the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest and a major provider of natural gas storage services, with more than 641,000 residential and business customers in Oregon and southwest Washington.
What's New
June 4, 2009
PALOMAR STUDIES ROUTE ALTERNATIVES
Palomar Gas Transmission submitted its certificate application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December 2008 after nearly two years of preparation, study, and consultation with stakeholders, including agencies and landowners. Much of that time was spent developing a proposed route that would avoid sensitive areas where possible and minimize Palomar’s impacts on the environment.
Since December, Palomar has been approached by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to further study the route identified as the “Warm Springs Alternative” in the certificate application. BLM has also asked Palomar to study another alternative that would route the pipeline through the city of Maupin in Wasco County.
Reliable energy for the future
The proposed Palomar Gas Transmission is a new interstate natural gas pipeline that will provide additional energy infrastructure to serve Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and other western states. Palomar is a joint venture of TransCanada, a leading North American energy infrastructure company, and NW Natural, the principal distributor of natural gas in Oregon and southwest Washington.
Currently, NW Natural is dependent on a single interstate gas transmission pipeline company for the gas it needs to serve its 641,000 home, business, and industrial customers. By connecting TransCanada’s existing Gas Transmission Northwest system in central Oregon with NW Natural’s distribution system, the proposed Palomar pipeline will provide those customers with another reliable source of natural gas, a fuel that is vital to the region’s economic well-being.
The proposed 36-inch-diameter underground pipeline will be approximately 220 miles long. In addition to improving service reliability for NW Natural’s customers, the pipeline potentially opens up the entire region to new sources of natural gas via a connection to the proposed Bradwood Landing Pipeline in north-central Oregon.
The proposed Palomar project is seeking a certificate from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to construct and operate the pipeline. Public consultation on all aspects of project development – including routing, environmental impact, and need - will be included in FERC’s decision-making.
For more information on FERC’s role and how interested parties can participate in the certificate process, visit www.ferc.gov.