TransCanada Corporation

TransCanada Corporation
Public
Traded as TSX: TRP
NYSE: TRP
S&P/TSX 60 component
Industry Oil and gas
Electricity
Founded 1951
Headquarters TransCanada Tower, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Area served
 Canada
Mexico
United States
Key people
 Russ Girling, President and CEO
Products Natural gas
Electric power
Services Pipeline transport
Natural gas storage
Revenue C$10.185 billion (2014)[1]
Increase C$1.743 billion (2014)[1]
Total assets C$58.9 billion (2014)[2]
Number of employees
 6,059[1]
Website transcanada.com

TransCanada Corporation is a major North American energy company, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, developing and operating energy infrastructure in North America. Its pipeline network includes approximately 3,460 kilometres (2,150 miles) of oil pipeline, plus approximately 57,000 kilometres (35,418 miles) of wholly owned and 11,500 kilometres (7,146 miles) of partially owned gas pipeline that connects with virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent’s largest providers of gas storage and related services with approximately 407 billion cubic feet (1.15×1010 m3) of storage capacity. TransCanada also owns, or has interests in, approximately 11,800 megawatts of power generation.[3]

TransCanada Tower, company head office in Calgary

TransCanada is the largest shareholder in, and owns the general partner of, TC PipeLines, LP. The company was founded in 1951 in Calgary.[4] In January 2014, 46% of the ownership of TransCanada was by institutional shareholders.[5]

Pipelines

Wholly owned pipelines:

Affiliated pipelines:

Keystone Pipeline

TransCanada maintains that people have public access to the pipeline, thus supporting criteria for eminent domain. "It's open for anyone to do business on our pipeline, we welcome business to our pipe." said TransCanada Media Relations Michael Barnes.[6]

At one point in October 2011, TransCanada was involved in up to 56 separate eminent domain actions against landowners in Texas and South Dakota who have refused to give permission to the company to build the Keystone Pipeline on their land.[7] However, on August 23, 2012, Texas Judge Bill Harris ruled that TransCanada has the legal right of eminent domain and may lease or purchase land from owners who refused to sign an agreement with the company for the public right-of-way of a pipeline. The landowners had claimed that because the pipeline was not open to other companies, it did not meet the criteria for eminent domain.[8]

On September 27, 2012, protesters began tree sitting in the path of the Keystone pipeline near Winnsboro, Texas. Eight people stood on tree platforms just ahead of where crews were cutting down trees to make way for the pipeline.[9]

On October 4, 2012, actress and activist Daryl Hannah and 78-year-old Texas landowner Eleanor Fairchild were arrested for criminal trespassing and other charges after they were accused of standing in front of TransCanada pipeline construction equipment on Fairchild's farm in Winnsboro, a town about 100 miles east of Dallas.[10] Ms. Fairchild has owned the land since 1983 and refused to sign any agreements with TransCanada. Her land was seized by eminent domain.

On April 2, 2016, a resident near Freeman, South Dakota observed a leak along the Keystone pipeline. The size and cause were not immediately known.[11]

British Columbia gas export pipelines

As of June 2013 these projects remain subject to regulatory approval and licensing.[12][13]

In June 2012 it was announced that TransCanada was selected by Shell and partners Korea Gas Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation and PetroChina Company Limited to design, build, own and operate[13] the Coastal GasLink pipeline between northeastern B.C. oil fields near Dawson Creek, British Columbia and an LNG facility export facility on the Douglas Channel near Kitimat, British Columbia.[14][15][16][17]

In January 2013 it was announced that TransCanada was selected by Petronas to design, build, own, and operate[12] the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project, a gas pipeline that would transport natural gas from the Montney region near Fort St. John, British Columbia to a LNG terminal planned by Progress Energy Canada Ltd. in Port Edward, British Columbia on Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, British Columbia.[18]

TransCanada's existing NGTL system in northeastern B.C. will be expanded and integrated into the new export pipeline systems.[12][14]

Pipelines in Alberta

In October 2012, TransCanada formed a 50-50 CAD$3bn joint-venture with Phoenix Energy Holdings Ltd. (the Canadian subsidiary of PetroChina) to develop the 500 km Grand Rapids Pipeline.[19]

Power market

TransCanada also owns, or has interests in, approximately 11,800 megawatts of power generation.[3]

Economic withholding

Economic withholding is defined as the practice of submitting blocks of electricity at high, non-competitive prices that effectively reduces or withholds the quantity of supply offered at competitive prices. Generators "offer their available electricity to the market for dispatch on the grid" but they raise the price so high the electricity is not dispatched.[20] In this way economic withholding is "an exercise of market power" which intentionally raise prices above competitive levels.[21]:5

In Alberta, Canada, through the practice of economic withholding a single electricity provider drove up prices on four occasions in May and June, of 2015 during a period of surplus power supply.[20]

"Power generators are required to offer their available electricity to the market for dispatch on the grid, but they can choose the price they want for it. If it is priced too high, it might not be dispatched."
— Darcy Henton Calgary Herald 5 September 2015

A single market participant, TransCanadaEnergy Ltd successfully withheld "much of its available power output on four occasions in May and June 2015 despite there being a surplus supply of power. In response to concerns about the spike in the price of electricity TransCanada's Davis Sheremata claimed that the company "applies our view of prevailing market fundamentals when offering power into the wholesale market."[20]

Power plants

Corporate governance

Members of the board of directors of TransCanada are S. Barry Jackson (Chair), Russ Girling (President and CEO), Kevin E. Benson, Derek Burney, John Richels, Paule Gauthier, Paula Rosput Reynolds, Mary Pat Salomone, W. Thomas Stephens, D. Michael G. Stewart and Richard E. Waugh. [23]

Sponsorships

In 2014, Transcanada sponsored the Grand Final event held in Edmonton, Canada for the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series.[24] In 2015 the company was a major sponsor for the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge held in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia.[25] Transcanada committed $25,000 in sponsorship funding to assist the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in the maintenance of the Iron Belle Trail. The company adopted a 2 kilometres (1 mile) long stretch of the trail in Kalkaska County, Michigan near an ANR Pipeline facility.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 3
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 TransCanada Power Marketing - About Us
  4. ↑ Kilbourn, William (1970). Pipeline: TransCanada and the Great Debate. p. 29.
  5. ↑ NASDAQ: "TransCanada Corporation Institutional Ownership"
  6. ↑ http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/Lamar-County-landowner-appeals-TransCanada-pipeline-217699311.html
  7. ↑ "Eminent Domain Fight Has a Canadian Twist". New York Times. Oct 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Keystone pipeline clears a hurdle". Washington Post. Aug 22, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Protesters in Texas climb trees to block pipeline work". Houston Chronicle. September 25, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Daryl Hannah freed following arrest in pipeline protest". Chicago Sun-Times. Oct 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2016/04/04/keystone-pipeline-oil-spill-near-freeman/82608002/
  12. 1 2 3 "TransCanada Selected to Develop $6 Billion in Natural Gas Infrastructure to Prince Rupert, British Columbia" (news release). TransCanada. January 9, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  13. 1 2 "TransCanada Selected by Shell and Partners to Develop Multi-Billion Dollar Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada's West Coast" (news release). TransCanada. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Lauren Krugel (January 9, 2013). "TransCanada to build $5-billion shale gas pipeline project near Prince Rupert" (blog). The Tyee. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Home page". Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited. Retrieved June 12, 2013. Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited, proposes to develop a natural gas pipeline from northeast B.C. to the west coast of B.C. to serve export markets.
  16. ↑ Coastal GasLink Pipeline project description
  17. ↑ Nathan VanderKlippe (June 5, 2012). "TransCanada wins $4-billion pipeline contract". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  18. ↑ Darren Campbell (January 9, 2013). "B.C. LNG exports take a step forward with TransCanada announcement: TCPL to build $5.1 billion pipeline that will feed coastal terminal". Alberta Oil Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  19. ↑ "TransCanada Corp And Phoenix Energy Holdings Ltd. Form Joint Venture To Develop Grand Rapids Pipeline System"
  20. 1 2 3 Darcy Henton (5 September 2015). "Economic withholding goes under the microscope after spring power price spike". Calgary Herald. Edmonton, Alberta. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Economic withholding in the Alberta Energy Market (PDF). John F. Kennedy School of Government (Report). Market Development Power Pool. 1 March 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  22. ↑ http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualite-economique/201307/31/01-4675921-becancour-1-milliard-pour-une-centrale-au-gaz-fermee.php
  23. ↑ "Board of Directors". Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  24. ↑ Butcher, Lucy (2014-03-03). "TransCanada to sponsor ITU Grand Final". SportsPro Media. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  25. ↑ "Two Canadian teams go head-to-head in 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge opener". Hockey Canada. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  26. ↑ Tonc, Lauren (2015-09-15). "Adopting the Iron Belle Trail". Transcanada. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
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