CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An extensive
independent study that found the Peoples Gas program to replace
aging natural gas pipes will increase public and customer safety
has been approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The
approval came after nine months of staff review and input from
consumer advocates and environmental groups.
The study by Kiefner and Associates, an international
engineering firm, found that more than 80% of the iron pipes in the
Peoples Gas delivery system have an average remaining life of less
than 15 years. The study also found that by replacing Chicago's aging gas system, the company's
System Modernization Program (SMP) will significantly reduce risks
in Chicago's natural gas delivery
network.
"This independent study and the ICC's comprehensive analysis
underscore the urgency of our System Modernization Program," said
Charles Matthews, president and CEO
of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.
Peoples Gas is replacing 2,000 miles of aging iron pipes, some
as old as 150 years, with modern piping that does not rust or
corrode. The upgrades improve safety and reliability and reduce
methane emissions. SMP will be 30% complete by the end of 2020, and
is scheduled to be fully completed by 2040.
"We've been able to keep these capital-intensive safety
improvements moving forward as a result of an infrastructure rider
approved by the Illinois General Assembly in 2013," Matthews said.
"The rider provides stability and, ultimately, allows us to perform
this work at a lower cost to customers than would otherwise be
possible through traditional rate structures. It also allows us to
maintain hundreds of union and veteran jobs at a time when many
workers are unemployed."
Peoples Gas launched its replacement program in 2011 in response
to a call to action from the Obama administration by U.S. Secretary
of Transportation Ray LaHood.
This call to action urged utilities with aging systems to
accelerate pipeline repair and replacement. The federal directive
followed a natural gas explosion in San
Bruno, Calif., that killed eight people, injured 58 and
destroyed 38 homes. Since then, gas pipeline explosions in
Pennsylvania, Texas, New
York, Massachusetts and,
most recently, Maryland have
resulted in the loss of dozens of lives and significant property
damage.
In addition to accepting the conclusions of the independent
Kiefner study, the ICC requested that Peoples Gas increase
reporting and updates to the ICC and provide a cost/benefit
analysis for possible additional leak detection.
Kiefner presented its study of the Peoples Gas delivery system
to the ICC in January 2020. Since
2013, Peoples Gas has installed more than 758 miles of modern gas
main, 70,492 service lines, 165,133 outdoor natural gas meters and
242,345 explosion prevention devices as part of its work on the
SMP.
Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group
(NYSE: WEC), is a regulated natural gas delivery company that
serves more than 867,000 residential, commercial, and industrial
customers in the city of Chicago.
You can find more information about natural gas safety, energy
efficiency and other energy-related topics at
peoplesgasdelivery.com. Follow us on
Twitter and
Facebook @peoplesgaschi.
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SOURCE Peoples Gas