ferc gives guardian favorable preliminary determination ferc gives high sign wi pipe competition northern illinois southeastern wisconsin gas transportation markets long dominated anr pipeline moved one step closer obtaining pipeline pipeline competition yesterday ferc awarded proposed guardian pipeline llc favorable preliminary determination non environmental issues decision major win proposed greenfield pipeline shoot arguments presented anr thwart project found even though project would adversely affect landowner interests guardian making reasonable efforts mitigate impact landowners moreover ferc ruled 224 million pipeline would compete head head anr would negative affect coastal pipeline customers balance commission finds proposed guardian pipeline provide substantial public benefits minimal adverse impacts order said cpo 0 36 commission also found sufficient need established 36 inch 140 mile pipeline would transport 750 000 dth gas chicago hub markets northern illinois southern wisconsin providing customers alternative anr access competitive canadian gas supplies would terminate near ixonia wi would interconnect wisconsin gas co distribution system chicago hub pipeline proposes interconnect alliance pipeline northern border pipeline midwestern gas pipeline natural gas pipeline co america guardian executed 10 year precedent agreements four shippers 702 500 dth equals 94 project design capacity largest shipper far wisconsin gas committed 650 000 dth capacity proposed line fact guardian project outgrowth wisconsin gas request proposals rfp process june 1998 ldc initiated anticipation expiration firm transportation contract anr october 2003 shippers guardian include alliant energy 10 000 dth wps energy services inc 2 500 dth unnamed shipper 40 000 dth project targeted service date nov 1 2002 multiple protests filed commission anr argued guardian application patently deficient include proposed lateral wisconsin gas plans build interconnect guardian wisconsin gas currently seeking approval state regulators build lateral furthermore anr claimed wisconsin gas using monopoly power franchised ldc serving southern wisconsin subsidize guardian project wisconsin gas parent wicor inc one sponsors guardian backers cms gas transmission storage viking gas transmission ferc rejected arguments previous attempts inject competition anr market area failed believe area ripe competition matter time pipelines submit similar proposals commission find proposed project provide southeastern wisconsin access another source supply allow market enjoy benefits pipeline pipeline competition first time order noted