“Over 177 million Americans throughout the nation rely on clean natural gas to meet the daily needs of modern life, whether it’s to heat their homes, provide a hot shower or cook a meal,” said AGA president and CEO Dave McCurdy. “Our domestic abundance of natural gas has led to an era of market stability that translates to a difference our customers can see in their pockets. This report shows that customers recognize the value of natural gas as an affordable, efficient, safe and reliable energy choice.”

America’s natural gas delivery system is extraordinarily efficient, with 92 percent of the natural gas produced at the wellhead being delivered to customers as usable energy. Combined with comparatively low prices and a lower emissions profile, this means that direct use of natural gas results in substantial savings in dollars and greenhouse gas emissions. Nationwide, customers who heated their homes with natural gas during the 2011-2012 winter heating season saw average savings of 70 percent compared to those using heating oil, and more than 32 percent compared to homes heated with electricity, according to the Energy Information Administration. Natural gas utilities also make significant investments in energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce energy use, thereby saving their customers across the United States more than $300 million in 2011 – about $107 per household.

Homes heated with natural gas also made up the largest share of new single family housing unit construction from 2000-2012. Much of the increase in natural gas-heated homes can be attributed to infrastructure growth of utility gas systems in the Northeast. Greater infrastructure investment in this region and the expansion of natural gas lines to potential customers could further facilitate the conversion of the more than six million housing units in the area that are not yet heated by natural gas.

America’s natural gas utilities operate over two million miles of pipeline throughout the United States – the safest, most reliable energy delivery system in the country. Utilities invest more than $7 billion annually to help enhance safety, upgrade systems and expand service so that more Americans can access this foundation fuel. Further expansion will create greater opportunity for leveraging the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas and achieving our nation’s goal of a more secure energy future.

“America’s natural gas utilities want all Americans to have access to the benefits of natural gas,” said McCurdy. “We are committed to making investments and encouraging policies that boost the growth of the natural gas delivery system to service new homes and businesses, and to help spur economic development in every state.”

The credit is for approximately $8.5 million and will equate to about $9.18 for the average residential customer in Oregon or nearly $44 for the average commercial customer.

The credit is being given because of efficient pipeline capacity management and effective use of the company’s underground natural gas storage facility in Mist, Oregon.

In the last 12 years, savings provided back to customers from the company’s Mist gas storage operations have totaled more than $80.6 million.

“This exciting new analysis from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions further bolsters the case for natural gas as a foundation fuel for a clean energy future,” said McCurdy. “Working alongside renewables and energy efficiency, our domestic abundance of natural gas provides an incredible opportunity to deliver the essential energy that will help drive economic growth while protecting the environment.”

The report points to the efficient use of natural gas for space and water heating as offering opportunities for substantial near-term, low-cost carbon emissions reductions. America’s natural gas delivery system is extraordinarily efficient with 92 percent of the natural gas produced at the wellhead being delivered to customers as usable energy. With high-efficiency appliances and equipment, the natural gas value chain offers a well-tested and cost-effective tool to reduce emissions. A household with natural gas for space heating, water heating, cooking and clothes drying on average spends almost 30 percent less than a household with all-electric appliances, and leads to 37 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The report also echoes AGA’s commitment to better understand and more accurately measure the methane emissions from natural gas systems. While methane emissions from the natural gas delivery system have been reduced 16 percent since 1990 according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2013 Greenhouse Gas Inventory released in April, America’s natural gas utilities are committed to lowering them even further. AGA and several of its members are joining the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to sponsor a nationwide field study to better understand methane emissions associated with the distribution and delivery of natural gas.

Advanced technologies using natural gas, such as microgrids, distributed generation and combined heat and power, are also recognized in the report as has having considerable potential to reduce emissions in both the buildings and manufacturing sectors. By using less overall energy than separate heat and power generation, CHP systems can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution while providing customers an affordable, resilient energy solution.

Check back in mid-June for our newest fact, focused on natural gas important role in British Columbia.

Idaho:

Oregon:

 Washington:

British Columbia (Coming June 2013)

By adding the hashtag: #2013AEC to the end of your tweet you’ll be entered to win our Twitter contest and take home a Starbucks gift card.

By including “#2013AEC” in your tweet other conference attendees and our staff will be able to see what you’ve tweeted and, most importantly, enter you into the drawing for the gift card.

Not sure what the heck Twitter is but still want to participate? You can create an account here. Once you’ve signed up click here to get more information on just what a hash tag is.

“America’s natural gas utilities operate the safest, most reliable energy delivery system in the country,” said AGA President and CEO Dave McCurdy. “That record is built on the tireless and dedicated work of natural gas employees across AGA’s membership. I applaud our award recipients and thank them for their commitment to keeping our employees and communities safe.”

AGA’s Annual Operations Conference and Biennial Exhibition opened on May 21 in Orlando, with more than 1700 attendees and over 120 presentations on pipeline safety, advances in pipeline construction, employee safety programs, environmental safeguards and more. The 80,000 sq. ft. exhibition features more than 200 natural gas distribution and transmission vendors.

The 2012 Safety Achievement Award recipients are:

Knoxville Utilities Board (Knoxville, TN)

Intermountain Gas Company (Boise, ID)

TECO Peoples Gas (Tampa, FL)

We Energies (Milwaukee, WI)

COMGÁS (São Paulo, Brazil)

Columbia Gas of Ohio (Columbus, OH)

Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. (Ontario, Canada)

CoServ Gas, Ltd. (Corinth, TX)

PECO Energy (Philadelphia, PA)

ONEOK Natural Gas Pipeline Company (Tulsa, OK)

Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Owensboro, KY)

The following AGA member companies earned 2012 Safety Achievement Awards by experiencing the lowest motor vehicle accident rate for companies of their type:

UniSource Energy Services (Tucson, AZ)

Liberty Utilities (Salem, NH)

Dow Pipeline Company (Freeport, TX)

Cheniere Pipeline Company – Creole Trail Pipeline (Cameron, LA)

Encana’s Jill E. Cooper, Group Lead, Environment, will delve into the history of natural gas production and provide her perspective on where the industry is heading in the future. Jill is responsible for US Division environmental regulatory and policy efforts, including those related to air quality, water quality and quantity, surface management, wildlife, materials and waste management, sustainability, greenhouse gases, hydraulic fracturing, environmental due diligence, and environmental management systems.  Jill serves on the Governor’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, Denver Mayor’s Greenprint Council, American Exploration and Production Council EHS Committee.

Kevin Petak, Vice President, ICF International, will lend his insight on proposed Pacific Northwest LNG export projects and what impacts they may or may not have in our region. Kevin is an expert in gas market modeling, has over 26 years of experience in the energy industry. He has directed numerous energy market analyses to support strategic planning needs at energy companies. These analyses have investigated the impact of gas production, gas storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, and pipeline expansions on gas prices, the effect of weather and oil prices on gas markets, and the impact of carbon control strategies on gas markets.

Don’t miss out on these speakers and more, register for the conference today by clicking here.

A notable change from last year’s forecast is that overall loads are down and predicted to remain lower than previously foreseen.  Utilities are predicting firm energy demand in 2014 to be down about 700 average megawatts from what they thought a year ago.  The forecasts for the summer and winter peak are also down a similar proportion.  Although these loads are lower, utilities predict a continued steady rise in demand over the next decade.

As in last year’s Forecast, utilities are paying closer attention to peak demand and how to plan for these spikes in usage, typically in winter with its heavier heating and lighting loads.  In fact, the report indicates a need for additional supply to meet winter peak demand in the first year of the report.  Summer peak needs are not quite as urgent, with resources sufficient until 2017, but still must be addressed.

Adding to the decades of success of energy-efficiency programs, utilities are implementing new demand-side initiatives, shaving load in peak periods by engaging customers in programs such as demand response.  The region will also need new generating resources to assure power system reliability.  Utilities are investing in flexible generation options to balance the variable nature of resources like wind and solar.

Newly acquired generating resources and plans for future acquisitions are revealing a complex strategy for dealing with short-term load reductions and longer-term projected needs, particularly in peak seasons.  While hydropower is still the backbone of the region’s power system, the trend toward supplementing with natural gas-fired generation will continue in combination with contract purchases to help bridge seasonal gaps.  Other renewable options besides wind, including hydro-efficiency improvements, biomass, geothermal and solar are more prominent in utilities’ plans.

Read the full report at www.pnucc.org/system-planning/northwest-regional-forecast.

See it in action: We’re just wrapping up dig safely month but natural gas utilities are out monitoring their system all year; ensuring that underground infrastructure is in safe operating condition.

Hydrostatic testing is one of the many tools our members use to ensure their pipelines are in good working order. It’s tough to find videos online of a natural gas pipeline undergoing hydrostatic testing but here’s someone performing a similar test on some pipes in their home. The general spirit of the operation is the same, although on a much smaller scale:

Natural Gas Terms of the Week are posted each Monday, check back weekly to boost your natural gas IQ.

Follow the NWGA on Twitter: @Ben_at_NWGA

Natural Gas Terms of the Week are posted each Monday, check back weekly to boost your natural gas IQ.

Follow the NWGA on Twitter: @Ben_at_NWGA

See it in action: The NWGA’s member utilities in the U.S. produce Integrated Resource Plans every 2-5 years depending on their location, in cooperation with regional stakeholders including regulators and consumers. Our lone Canadian utility member, FortisBC, engages in a similar process, developing a “Long Term Resource Plan.

In both countries the end result is a document that explores the wide variety of factors that a utility confronts and controls for in bringing natural gas to your home. The planning and creation of an IRP may takes well over a year as numerous variables are run through simulation programs designed to determine the best options for a utility in a number of planning environments. These simulations may take into account factors such as service disruptions due to maintenance, extremely hot or cold years, differing price levels for commodities or emerging markets such as natural gas vehicle demand. Other factors outlined in the report include forecasts for customer demand, decisions on where to procure natural gas and future infrastructure needs.

The end result is a comprehensive document outlining the utility’s plans for their specified timeframe and providing the sort of sound justification necessary for decision making should any issues arise in the future. To get a feel for what an actual IRP looks like here’s a list of the IRP’s and other publicly available data that goes into our annual Natural Gas Outlook.

A Natural Gas Term of the Week is posted each Monday, check back weekly to boost your natural gas IQ.  Follow the NWGA on Twitter @Ben_at_NWGA