3. History of the Existing Wild Goose Natural
Gas Storage and Pipeline Facility

In Decision (D.) 97-06-091, this Commission granted Wild Goose a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to develop, construct and operate an underground natural gas storage facility in Butte County on the site of an abandoned, underground natural gas field located approximately 50 miles north of Sacramento. The CPCN authorized Wild Goose to provide firm and interruptible storage service at market-based rates. (D.97-06-091, 73 CPUC2d 90.) The storage field and related facilities interconnect with Line 167 of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Sacramento Valley Local Transmission System, the major gas transmission line serving the Sacramento area. The certificated facility consisted of 14 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working gas with maximum firm daily injection of 80 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and maximum firm daily withdrawals of 200 MMcf/d.

In D.02-07-036, we granted Wild Goose an amendment of its CPCN to expand its gas storage facilities in Butte County by 15 Bcf to a total of 29 Bcf and to connect the expanded facility to the major transmission pipeline owned by PG&E, Line 400/401, near the Delevan Compressor Station in Colusa County. That decision specifically contemplated the bi-directional storage loop pipeline for which the proposed condemnation is sought.

The 2002 decision also certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Wild Goose expansion project and further conditioned the CPCN on mitigations set forth in the EIR.