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What Drives Our Growth?
Natural gas is a vital energy resource. It is the cleanest-burning conventional fuel – and it is domestic, abundant, reliable and versatile. Growing demand for natural gas drives our growth. As a leader in operating and developing natural gas infrastructure, Spectra Energy responds to market need in determining where and when our pipelines and facilities are expanded.
Natural gas is abundant in North America and current estimates point to more than 100 years worth of supply availability. Recent technological advances and a long history of innovation remind us that technology will continue to emerge and develop, allowing us to further tap this clean-burning energy alternative.
Natural gas works hard for North America, generating electricity, powering our manufacturing plants, providing raw material for a range of products, heating homes and fueling transportation. Its versatility doesn’t stop there. Natural gas is also an excellent complement to renewable technologies such as wind and solar, providing low-emission backup generation when needed.
Our pipeline, storage and gathering and processing facilities are strategically located near the natural gas supply basins and emerging unconventional natural gas shale plays.
Our customers look to us as a preferred conduit to connect growing natural gas supply areas to premium markets, and our expert teams design expansion projects to respond to this need.
When developing projects, we conduct a comprehensive consultation process with all affected stakeholders to develop a technically feasible pipeline route that meets the balance between the number of landowners affected, impact to the environment, constructability requirements and safety regulations, while also meeting customer needs and creating economic opportunities for communities.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the lead permitting agency for our U.S. interstate pipeline projects. FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. See www.ferc.gov for more information.
Our Western Canadian projects are regulated by the National Energy Board (NEB), an independent federal agency established in 1959 by the Parliament of Canada to regulate international and interprovincial aspects of the oil, gas and electric utility industries. The NEB is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. For more information see www.neb.gc.ca.
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) regulates our Union Gas projects. The OEB regulates Ontario's natural gas and electricity industries. The OEB also provides advice on energy matters referred to it by the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Natural Resources. Additional information is available at www.oeb.gov.on.ca.
We Are Successfully Expanding Our Pipeline System
Our track record for successful pipeline expansion is best illustrated by the number of projects we have placed into service since 2007.
| Year | Number of Projects | Capital Cost (USD in Millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 13 | $650 |
| 2008 | 19 | $1,800 |
| 2009 | 10 | $650 |
Projects in Execution
Click on the descriptions below for individual project information.
Opportunities on the Horizon
Click on the map below to enlarge.
