displacedinMN
01-26-2014, 03:58 PM
This has been posted from Xcel Energy in Minnesota/Wisconsin
Xcel Energy officials today continued monitoring natural gas supplies following an early Saturday morning explosion that ruptured a TransCanada pipeline in Manitoba and potentially damaged two other pipelines, which were taken out of service to be examined.
The three lines provide the main supply of natural gas to more than 100,000 Xcel Energy customers in eastern North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Xcel Energy on Saturday asked residential and business customers in those areas to conserve natural gas by turning their thermostats down to 60 and avoiding using natural gas appliances and renewed that request today.
TransCanada Pipeline is currently assessing the system to determine which lines can be returned to service safely.
Xcel Energy currently is receiving natural gas supply to serve customers in Fargo and Grand Forks in North Dakota; East Grand Forks, Moorhead and Brainerd in Minnesota; and communities in west-central Wisconsin, including the Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Menomonie areas, from alternate routes from Michigan and from the Twin Cities area.
The extreme cold weather is putting capacity pressure on those systems, too, so Xcel Energy is asking all customers – even those outside the communities whose supplies are most at risk – to conserve natural gas.
We appreciate the support our customers are providing and recognize the discomfort it may be causing. We continue to urge those customers who can turn down their thermostats to continue to do so. We understand the elderly and others with special health concerns may not be able to accommodate the request. Supplemental heat such as electric space heaters can be beneficial.
Xcel Energy is contacting local officials to ensure they are prepared should conditions change..
It is just cold out there now. Wind, +50 gusts and very low wind chills.
Lets hope it does not turn into a worse situation.
Xcel Energy officials today continued monitoring natural gas supplies following an early Saturday morning explosion that ruptured a TransCanada pipeline in Manitoba and potentially damaged two other pipelines, which were taken out of service to be examined.
The three lines provide the main supply of natural gas to more than 100,000 Xcel Energy customers in eastern North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Xcel Energy on Saturday asked residential and business customers in those areas to conserve natural gas by turning their thermostats down to 60 and avoiding using natural gas appliances and renewed that request today.
TransCanada Pipeline is currently assessing the system to determine which lines can be returned to service safely.
Xcel Energy currently is receiving natural gas supply to serve customers in Fargo and Grand Forks in North Dakota; East Grand Forks, Moorhead and Brainerd in Minnesota; and communities in west-central Wisconsin, including the Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Menomonie areas, from alternate routes from Michigan and from the Twin Cities area.
The extreme cold weather is putting capacity pressure on those systems, too, so Xcel Energy is asking all customers – even those outside the communities whose supplies are most at risk – to conserve natural gas.
We appreciate the support our customers are providing and recognize the discomfort it may be causing. We continue to urge those customers who can turn down their thermostats to continue to do so. We understand the elderly and others with special health concerns may not be able to accommodate the request. Supplemental heat such as electric space heaters can be beneficial.
Xcel Energy is contacting local officials to ensure they are prepared should conditions change..
It is just cold out there now. Wind, +50 gusts and very low wind chills.
Lets hope it does not turn into a worse situation.