# Section 1200 Is Called Interruption > Enstar, the gas utility for almost half of Alaska's population, publishes a tariff section numbered 1200 and titled Interruption. Published 2026-09-11 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-09-11/ ## The story Cook Inlet storage read 7,648,351 Mcf on September 10th. Design volume is not what the field can deliver on any given day. Enstar sells gas to almost half of Alaska's population and gets nearly all of its supply from Hilcorp. Southcentral runs more than 70 percent of its electricity on gas, per Alaska Public Media citing ISER. Enstar president John Sims told state lawmakers in August the utility was about 3 Bcf short of ideal storage. A failed day carries no number forward. Demand model 2.0 is published in full. Its demand is modeled, not measured. It is published on Enstar's own tariff page. Enstar says reductions would be phased by customer class under the tariff. The divisions below the top one are not drawn here. Kenai Mayor Henry Knackstedt met Enstar's president and other Southcentral mayors on August 21st, then told his city council what Enstar described. ## What we verified - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch measured Cook Inlet storage inventory at 7,648,351 Mcf on September 10th, 2026. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch page publishes that September 10th, 2026 reading as 7.65 of 13.0 Bcf. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - CINGSA's storage design capacity as recorded by the Cook Inlet Gas Watch is 13,000,000 Mcf, published as 13.0 Bcf. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - Cook Inlet storage stood at 58.8 percent of design volume on September 10th, 2026. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch demand model in force on September 10th, 2026 is version 2.0. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The published demand model states that regional demand in MMcf per day equals 80.868 plus 3.439 times heating degree days on a base of 65 Fahrenheit. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The highest modeled demand in the Cook Inlet Gas Watch forecast window as of September 10th, 2026 is 120 MMcf per day. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch holds 36 days on record as of September 10th, 2026. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - Of the 36 days on record, 2 carry no verified reading because a fetch failed or the source had stopped updating. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch publishes 63.7 days of cover at modeled peak and states in the same field that it is not a measure of adequacy. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - CINGSA's published operating withdrawal capacity on September 10th, 2026 was 150,000 Mcf per day against a design figure of 215,000 Mcf per day. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - CINGSA posted that it will perform a required semiannual shut in field balance and maintenance from September 14th to September 21st, 2026 and will accept no nominations during that time. [CINGSA public dashboard, captured by Alaska AI Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://cingsa.com/operations/PublicDashBoard.html), primary document, 2026-09-10. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch derived non CINGSA supply of 138.3 MMcf per day for September 9th, 2026 from its mass balance. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-09. - The Cook Inlet Gas Watch states it publishes no safety verdict. [Alaska AI, Cook Inlet Gas Watch](https://alaskaaihq.com/gas-watch/), primary document, 2026-09-10. - Enstar's petition for an advance determination of decisional prudence for the natural gas storage project is docket U-26-003 and Enstar publishes the filing itself on its own regulatory filings page. [Enstar Natural Gas Company](https://www.enstarnaturalgas.com/current-regulatory-filings/), primary document, 2026-09-11. - Enstar's approved tariff contains a section numbered 1200 titled Interruption, published on Enstar's own tariff information page. [Enstar Natural Gas Company](https://www.enstarnaturalgas.com/tariff-information/), primary document, 2026-09-11. - Enstar president John Sims told state lawmakers in August that Enstar was about 3 billion cubic feet short of its ideal storage level heading into the coming heating season. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Kenai Mayor Henry Knackstedt told the Kenai City Council on September 2nd, 2026 that Enstar president John Sims recently put the storage deficit at the equivalent of about 18 days of winter demand if temperatures are normal or slightly colder. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar communications manager Harley Hedlund said the deficit figure does not mean the utility will be short that many days this winter. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Harley Hedlund is Enstar's communications manager. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Kenai Mayor Henry Knackstedt said Enstar described a plan that would first look to large commercial and industrial users for reductions before residential customers. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar said any reductions would be phased by customer class under the utility's tariff, with service to facilities serving human needs and occupancy given the highest priority. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar said modest thermostat adjustments down to 65 degrees, where safe and practical, could help reduce demand during periods of extreme cold. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar does not now anticipate receiving gas from BlueCrest Energy's Cosmopolitan Unit until the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest, after an expected early September delivery slipped. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Kenai Mayor Henry Knackstedt said Enstar president John Sims indicated an LNG import project using the Nikiski area may not be ready until the fourth quarter of 2029. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Kenai Mayor Henry Knackstedt met with Enstar president John Sims and other Southcentral mayors on August 21st, 2026. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar was in emergency arbitration with HEX Operating over access to additional gas beyond what the producer was already delivering under contract. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Enstar communications manager Harley Hedlund said executed gas sharing agreements with Matanuska Electric Association and Chugach Electric Association would not be filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. [Homer News](https://www.homernews.com/2026/09/10/winter-gas-shortfall-comes-into-sharper-focus-for-southcentral-alaska/), report, 2026-09-10. - Alaskans use about 70 billion cubic feet of natural gas from Cook Inlet each year on average. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-economic-report/2026-09-09/what-to-know-about-the-southcentral-alaska-gas-crunch), report, 2026-09-09. - Southcentral Alaska relies on natural gas for more than 70 percent of its electricity. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-economic-report/2026-09-09/what-to-know-about-the-southcentral-alaska-gas-crunch), report, 2026-09-09. - Enstar sells gas to almost half of Alaska's population and gets nearly all of its supply from Hilcorp. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-economic-report/2026-09-09/what-to-know-about-the-southcentral-alaska-gas-crunch), report, 2026-09-09. - Enstar is currently paying close to 11 dollars per mcf of natural gas. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-economic-report/2026-09-09/what-to-know-about-the-southcentral-alaska-gas-crunch), report, 2026-09-09. - The Japan Korea spot market for LNG is trading at 24 dollars, more than double Enstar's current rate. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-economic-report/2026-09-09/what-to-know-about-the-southcentral-alaska-gas-crunch), report, 2026-09-09. - The Regulatory Commission of Alaska issued its order denying Enstar's request for an advance determination of prudence on July 8th, 2026. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/07/19/utilities/enstar-request-rejected/50264.html), report, 2026-07-19. - The Regulatory Commission of Alaska wrote that an advance determination of prudence is an extraordinary request not explicitly contemplated in its governing statutes or regulations. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/07/19/utilities/enstar-request-rejected/50264.html), report, 2026-07-19. - Enstar filed a 31 page petition for reconsideration of the commission's denial. [KTOO, republishing Alaska Public Media](https://www.ktoo.org/2026/07/24/enstar-appeals-rca-decision-saying-natural-gas-storage-cant-wait/), report, 2026-07-24. - Enstar told the commission in its original filing that the proposed storage facility would cost 240 million dollars and add up to 12 dollars a month to the average customer bill. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - The storage project is described as the largest single capital investment in Enstar's history. [KTOO, republishing Alaska Public Media](https://www.ktoo.org/2026/07/24/enstar-appeals-rca-decision-saying-natural-gas-storage-cant-wait/), report, 2026-07-24. - Enstar president John Sims said the reservoir is almost perfect for what Enstar views as short term and long term needs. [KTOO, republishing Alaska Public Media](https://www.ktoo.org/2026/07/24/enstar-appeals-rca-decision-saying-natural-gas-storage-cant-wait/), report, 2026-07-24. - Enstar president John Sims said there is a lot of planning going on for the upcoming winter about what happens if there is a gas supply issue, because the utility is worried. [KTOO, republishing Alaska Public Media](https://www.ktoo.org/2026/07/24/enstar-appeals-rca-decision-saying-natural-gas-storage-cant-wait/), report, 2026-07-24. - Golden Valley Electric Association's overall residential rate drops to 34.55 cents per kilowatt hour and is still the highest on the Railbelt. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-fuel-charge-drops-slightly-for-quarter/article_69cf21bc-be26-4310-9b21-0509c5ff4dd3.html), report, 2026-09-02. - The reduction lowers Golden Valley Electric Association's fuel and purchased power rate by 2.6 cents per kilowatt hour to 18.049 cents. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-fuel-charge-drops-slightly-for-quarter/article_69cf21bc-be26-4310-9b21-0509c5ff4dd3.html), report, 2026-09-02. - Golden Valley Electric Association residential rates will drop by 12.6 percent, or 15 dollars a month for the average household. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-fuel-charge-drops-slightly-for-quarter/article_69cf21bc-be26-4310-9b21-0509c5ff4dd3.html), report, 2026-09-02. - The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation plans to seek 2.5 million dollars from state lawmakers for a program enabling Alaskans to invest directly in the Alaska LNG pipeline project. [Anchorage Daily News, reporting by Alaska Beacon](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/09/07/state-owned-gasline-corporation-says-it-will-continue-to-pursue-alaska-lng-pipeline-in-2027/), report, 2026-09-07. - Broadband Breakfast reported that Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the state is advancing a natural gas pipeline that could deliver power at about five cents per kilowatt hour for industrial users. [Broadband Breakfast](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/alaska-pushes-for-data-center-investment/), report, 2026-04-24. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.