News Release
August 15, 2007

Union Gas: Building for the Future

WINDSOR, ONTARIO – Union Gas today announced its plans to construct a new energy efficient and environmentally friendly building to serve as the new Windsor regional centre. The announcement was made at the site where the new building will be located at 3840 Rhodes Drive. On-hand to assist Julie Dill, president, Union Gas with the ceremonial sod-turning were the Honourable Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade and MPP, Windsor West and the Honourable Dwight Duncan, Minister of Energy and MPP, Windsor-St. Clair.

Union Gas’ new Windsor office, to be constructed in 2008, will be built to a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard and feature state-of-the art energy and environmental technology. The new Windsor building will act as a regional hub for Union Gas and will serve as a base for approximately 125 employees.

“This new building will showcase some of the best environmental technologies available today, which we project will deliver energy savings of more than 25 per cent compared to conventional buildings,” said Dill.

“I want to congratulate Union Gas for their commitment to energy conservation and for their $16 million investment in Windsor’s economy,” said Dwight Duncan, MPP Windsor and Minister of Energy. “It is leadership initiatives like this that are helping us build a more sustainable energy future for Ontario.”

“Ontario industry is all about innovation. The fact that Union Gas is building its regional hub in Windsor and doing so in the most environmentally-sensitive way possible shows that this company is one the province’s technology and business leaders,” said Sandra Pupatello, MPP for Windsor West and Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Union’s new Windsor office will feature:

  • natural gas micro turbines to supply the energy needs of the office;
  • computerized control of lighting, heating & cooling systems;
  • a building design which will provide 75% of employees with natural lighting in their workspace, thus reducing the need for electrical lighting;
  • the harvesting of rainwater for toilets;
  • drought-resistant and native plants.

“Union Gas is committed to environmental responsibility and building vibrant communities. These new facilities are part of our larger plan to reduce our energy consumption and lighten our environmental footprint,” said Dill.

Over the past few years, Union Gas has been taking steps to reduce its energy consumption at its existing buildings across Ontario by replacing office light fixtures to reduce electricity consumption by about 58 per cent; installing low-flow showerheads, hands-free faucets and self-flushing toilets to reduce water consumption by 20 to 40 per cent (depending on the model), and replacing existing air conditioning units in our largest office with new energy-efficient units.

In addition, Union Gas has been delivering energy efficiency programs to its customers for over a decade. Last year alone, these programs helped avoid over 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and saved about 86.4 million cubic metres of natural gas -- the equivalent of taking more than 37,000 cars off the road in 2006.

Union Gas is an integrated natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company serving about 1.3 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities in northern, southwestern and eastern Ontario. Union Gas is a Spectra Energy company. Spectra Energy Corp (NYSE: SE) is one of North America’s premier pure play natural gas infrastructure companies serving three key links in the natural gas value chain: gathering and processing, transmission and storage and distribution. For close to a century, Spectra Energy and its predecessor companies have developed critically important pipelines and related energy infrastructure connecting natural gas supply sources to premium markets. Based in Houston, Texas, the company operates in the United States and Canada approximately 17,500 miles of transmission pipeline, 265 billion cubic feet of storage, natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas liquids operations and local distribution assets. Spectra Energy Corp also has a 50 percent ownership in DCP Midstream, one of the largest natural gas gatherers and processors in the United States. Visit www.spectraenergy.com for more information.

Andrea Stass
(519) 436-5490
(519) 365-1010