Southcentral gas utility Enstar sold to Canadian company

Enstar says customers shouldn't see any difference with the change in ownership to Calgary-based AltaGas Ltd.

"Basically, it's operations as normal," Enstar spokesman John Sims said. Enstar's management team remains intact, including Colleen Starring as president, he said. The name Enstar stays too, he said.

AltaGas calls itself an energy infrastructure company and says the purchase will help it grow into one of North America's biggest energy companies. It already gathers, processes, transports and stores natural gas. It has wind and hydro projects. Natural gas utilities currently operated by AltaGas serve 119,000 customers in Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

"They bring a lot of experience to the table. Their record speaks for itself, not only from an experience side, but also from a safety side. We don't expect any negative impact whatsoever," Sims said.

AltaGas plans to buy Semco Energy Inc., which owns Enstar as well as a natural gas storage facility under construction in Cook Inlet, and a gas utility and storage facility in Michigan.

The deal will dramatically increase the number of natural gas customers served by AltaGas. Enstar has 132,000 customers stretching from Houston to Anchor Point and including Anchorage; Semco's Michigan utility serves 286,000 customers.

Efforts to speak with an AltaGas representative after normal hours on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

"This acquisition establishes a significant foothold in the U.S. in areas with strong growth potential that are near existing AltaGas assets and operations," AltaGas chairman and chief executive David Cornhill said in a written statement.

Trading of its shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange halted on Wednesday in advance of the announcement.

The change won't affect the rate Enstar charges customers for natural gas, Sims said.

The deal must still be approved by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, where it should get close scrutiny to make sure it's in the public interest, said Susan Knowles, the former first lady who served for 18 years on the regulatory commission that preceded the RCA.

"I think it will be a relatively seamless transition," she said. She's on Enstar's community advisory board and also on the board of Continental Energy Systems, Semco's current owner, but doesn't have a financial stake in the deal.

She said AltaGas appears to be a "company that is extremely reputable and has the wherewithal to be a good operator."

Reach Lisa Demer at ldemer@adn.com