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Regional Natural Gas Distribution – Challenges & Opportunities in Transition, A view from Gazifère
SUMMARY
The movement toward lower carbon energy represents both a challenge and an opportunity for global natural gas utilities. And those challenges and opportunities are magnified for smaller utilities serving limited geographic areas.
The movement toward lower carbon energy represents both a challenge and an opportunity for global natural gas utilities. And those challenges and opportunities are magnified for smaller utilities serving limited geographic areas.
Gazifère is one of two natural gas distributors serving residential, commercial, institutional and industrial customers in Quebec through its 1,000-km gas supply system.
Julie Gaudreau, Executive Director of the International Gas Research Conference (IGRC2024), speaks with Jean-Benoit Trahan, President of Gazifère, about how the energy transition has impacted Gazifère’s operations and planning.
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Mr. Trahan is an economist and an MBA graduate and serves as President of Gazifère and Director of Operations for the Enbridge Gas Eastern Ontario District. Before joining the Gatineau area gas distributor, Mr. Trahan worked for a number of years as an analyst with the Régie de l’énergie as well as with Gaz Métro in the regulatory and fare setting sector. Mr. Trahan also worked as a consultant for some ten years in the energy field, and ran several projects in Quebec, Canada and Africa. Throughout that period, he helped introduce regulatory authority and was engaged as an analyst and expert in economic regulation, rate setting and energy in Quebec. For more than three years, Mr. Trahan has been working to lay the groundwork for greening the Gazifère natural gas distribution system, specifically through the delivery of a minimum volume of renewable natural gas since 2020 combined with an offer to all customers for its voluntary purchase, the development of franchise production projects and the development of a major hydrogen-based systemic green energy project for the Outaouais area. |
