Atmos Energy 2007 Annual Report Download - page 19

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17
As a regulated distribution business, we are responsible for
serving the entire community under our franchise agreements.
We realize that it’s difficult for many people on limited
or fixed incomes to pay the increasing costs of energy. That’s
why we support energy assistance programs in every state
we serve. We make matching contributions to assistance
programs, offer special payment plans and ask our customers
to donate a little extra to their local assistance program to
help the less-fortunate in their communities. As a good
steward of our shareholders’ assets, we also seek to recover
the gas-cost portion of bills that are in arrears. We believe
this is a fair bargain in order
to meet critical social needs.
Along with our natural gas
distribution operations, we
own a regulated transmission
and storage business in Texas.
Our Atmos Pipeline–Texas
Division transports natural
gas for our Mid-Texas Division
and ships gas from the major
producing basins in the state.
Our intrastate pipeline is
one of the largest in Texas,
with connections to interstate
pipelines at three strategic
pipeline hubs in West Texas,
East Texas and the Houston
area. It also owns five natural
gas storage facilities that,
like the pipeline, ensure reliable deliveries in the winter to
our regulated customers and help shippers when storage
capacity is available at other times of the year.
Our intrastate pipeline is benefiting from the drilling
boom in the Barnett Shale, one of the most active natural gas
basins in the country. To enhance our distribution operations
and increase our pipeline capacity, we have invested in major
expansion projects since acquiring the system in late 2004.
These include a 45-mile pipeline loop on the north side of the
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, two large compressor stations
and other improvements.
BRIDGING THE FUTURE
One of the most active natural gas
exploratory areas in the country
today is the Barnett Shale in Texas.
Much of this new gas production
will eventually flow to market
through Atmos Pipeline–Texas’
intrastate network.
We are investing in new pipeline and compression equipment for our
Atmos Pipeline–Texas network to support the growing needs of our regulated
customers and to transport natural gas to market for gas producers.