Just in from Puget Sound Energy – our area’s natural-gas utility – an update following Wednesday’s call for conservation:

Thanks to a combination of efforts from our customers and partnering with other Northwest utilities, the natural-gas system has stabilized and Puget Sound Energy is beginning to return to normal operations following the rupture of the Enbridge natural gas pipeline Tuesday evening in British Columbia, Canada.

We are now reaching out to business customers who curtailed their usage to let them know that they may resume normal gas use. While our calls for conservation are over for both business and residential customers, saving energy is encouraged. Tips can be found here.

Efforts made by our residential and business customers were critical in helping to stabilize the system. Although PSE is returning to normal operations, we will continue to monitor the natural gas system as Enbridge works on their supply pipeline.

While the natural gas supply was impacted due to this incident, there is no damage to the PSE gas system or safety hazard to our customers from the pipeline failure in Canada. There was no loss of electric or natural gas service as a result of this incident.

The pipeline that ruptured was part of a twin-pipeline system, and its undamaged twin has received the go-ahead to restart.