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POTENTIALPLANETPICTURING THEPRESERVING THE
PEOPLEPROTECTING THE
2020 American Gas Association | END OF YEAR REPORT
The American Gas Association represents companies delivering natural gas safely, reliably, and in an environmentally responsible way
to help improve the quality of life for their customers every day.
AGA’s mission is to provide clear value to its membership and
serve as the indispensable, leading voice and facilitator on its
behalf in promoting the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of
natural gas to homes and businesses across the nation. For millions of Americans, everything changed. Our homes became our offices, classrooms and gyms. We hunkered down, banded together and found new ways to carry on.
Throughout it all, America’s natural gas utilities delivered 24/7/365 remaining committed to:
Natural gas utilities were extraordinary in 2020 and the American Gas Association had your
back. In corridors of power and on every virtual platform available, we successfully made the
case that natural gas service was vital - now more than ever. We fought for essential worker
status and additional personal protective equipment. We shared up-to-the-minute leading
practices on COVID-safe operations. While our nation chose new leaders, we emphasized the
indispensable role of natural gas and continue to assert the role of reliable affordable energy as
our nation emerges into a brighter day.
• Providing essential energy at an affordable price
• Continuing to modernize critical systems
• Forging ahead on ambitious emissions reduction plans
• Enhancing safety at every level
• Sharing strategies with industry colleagues
2020 WAS ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY.
180 millionNATURAL GAS SERVICE TO NEARLY
Americans remained uninterrupted and safe.
Spotlight on COVID-19In the early days of the pandemic, AGA worked to ensure utility workers were included in the
first federal designation of essential workers and helped secure more than half a million pieces
of personal protective equipment for them. Further, AGA was actively engaged in providing our
industry’s perspective on COVID-19 guidance or relief measures affecting our customers from
seven federal agencies and 24 state regulators.
Despite the limits on in-person contact, we continued to fulfill the AGA’s critical role of bringing
the best minds in the industry together to share information and solve problems. As part of
our COVID-19 Response, we organized hundreds of calls with CIOs, HR, Legal, CFOs, and
operations executives—often on a weekly basis—and held more than 400 virtual member
meetings and events with more than 33,000 member participants.
AGA worked diligently with policymakers on Capitol Hill, organizing and leading the coalition to
persuade Congress to increase Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
funding for FY 2020, securing more than $900 million for distribution. We continue to conduct
regular outreach to state and federal lawmakers through calls, emails and letters that provide
more than 6,000 touchpoints on Capitol Hill and more than 14,000 touchpoints at the state level.
MORE THAN
$900 MILLION SECUREDAGA worked with policymakers on Capitol Hill securing
more than $900 million in additional LIHEAP funding for
distribution in FY2020.
“ Millions of households in America depend on natural gas as a vital energy source. NARUC commends the move by AGA member companies to ensure that service is not interrupted for consumers facing financial hardship during the pandemic.”
Brandon Presley, Mississippi Commissioner, Former President, National Association
of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Read more about AGA’sPEOPLEPROTECTING THE
Leading on Safety and SecurityAfter more than a year of negotiations involving AGA, pipeline sector
partners, environmental and pipeline safety advocates, and congressional
staff, pipeline safety reauthorization passed the House and Senate. Signed
into law by the President in early 2021, the Pipelines and Enhancing
Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020 includes new mandates and requirements
designed to ensure natural gas remains one of the safest and most reliable
forms of energy available today.
As part of our focus on Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS),
AGA developed and launched a pilot for virtual PSMS Assessments in
late 2020 that will continue in 2021. We are also taking steps to ensure
the efficient sharing of information on pipeline safety incidents. AGA also
launched a new initiative to analyze federal natural gas distribution and
transmission pipeline incident data to identify potential trends. All of these
efforts will allow our industry to make even more informed decisions about
how best to improve pipeline safety.
Infrastructure security is a top priority and through the AGA Cybersecurity
Action Plan, we have made measurable strides to improve our industry’s
ability to repel cybersecurity threats with the pursuit of more robust
standards, a credible self-verification tool to ensure that operators are
adhering to those standards, and an operator accountability mechanism.
Input from AGA and our members has played a key role in developing
stronger security standards, guidelines and tools both at the industry
level and in conjunction with federal agencies including the Transportation
Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. And
thanks in part to AGA’s efforts, Congress appropriated $8.4 million to TSA to
conduct pipeline cybersecurity assessments.
AGA upgraded the electronic platform of the Downstream Natural Gas
Information Sharing and Analysis Center hosting more than 2,600 alerts
for threats to industry physical, cyber and IT systems. AGA also negotiated
a new Mutual Aid program with our members and regional gas associations.
“ Our members are committed to the safe and reliable
delivery of natural gas and are proud to assist other
utilities and communities in their time of need.”
Karen Harbert, President and CEO, American Gas Association
MORE THAN
2,600 ALERTSThe Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and
Analysis Center (DNG-ISAC) is the premiere cyber and
physical threat sharing and analysis organization for the
natural gas industry in the U.S. and Canada facilitating
situational awareness and threat communication
between operators and with the federal government.
Read more about AGA’s
Delivering State of the Art Energy SolutionsThe AGA was extremely active on many fronts throughout 2020 in positioning natural gas as
a key component in enhancing the resilience, reliability, affordability and sustainability of the
overall U.S. energy system today and in the future.
At the state level, we raised the voice and profile of our industry by leading and participating
in several Pro Natural Gas Coalitions that brought together allies to help promote the value
of natural gas and tell the stories of businesses and industries that rely on the clean and
affordable energy it provides. Over the course of the year, legislation preserving energy choice
for customers passed in Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
We invested in new economic and energy modeling tools and analytics to evaluate the
benefits of natural gas end-use at the regional and local level. To show what could happen
if energy choice was taken away, we released an analysis of the Columbus, Ohio metro area
detailing the negative impact a ban on natural gas would have on the Columbus economy—
raising energy costs for consumers between $440-$630 per year and shedding 6,000 jobs.
If all homes switched to electric in the Columbus metro area it would raise energy costs for consumers between $440-$630 per year and
SHED 6,000 JOBS.
COLUMBUS, OH
PLANETPRESERVING THE
2020 END OF YEAR REPORT
Our Climate Change Position Statement, released in January 2020,
articulated a set of collective commitments for AGA and the natural gas utility
industry to contribute toward a significantly lower-carbon energy economy.
AGA also launched a study on The Opportunity for Natural Gas
Distribution Companies to Fulfill Carbon-Neutral Emissions Strategies
to present a vision and pathways for how natural gas and our infrastructure
can contribute to a net-zero emissions energy economy.
We continued to support our industry’s commitment to reduce methane
emissions and to be transparent in reporting on them as we have done on
ESG metrics. In partnership with the Edison Electric Institute, our members
and interested stakeholders, we are working to finalize and release Version
1.0 of a new Methane Intensity Protocol for our Natural Gas Sustainability
Initiative (NGSI). NGSI will help demonstrate natural gas sustainability across
the supply chain, beginning with a credible, rigorous method for individual
companies to voluntarily estimate and report their methane emissions intensity.
We redoubled our efforts to get this story out to all of our key
stakeholders and audiences in 2020. As part of AGA’s Financial
Community Outreach initiatives, we switched to a virtual format for
our annual Financial Forum, with great participation by members and
investors, analysts and rating agencies.
We also carried our industry’s message into the regulatory arena, where
we worked to influence numerous regulatory matters directly affecting
AGA members at the federal, state and local levels. From commenting
on proposed regulations to intervening in members’ litigation directly or
through the filing of amicus briefs, we brought the collective expertise
of the AGA and our members to bear on issues affecting the ability
for natural gas utilities to reliably and affordably deliver natural gas
including business model and operations, access to natural gas supplies,
and customers’ ability to choose natural gas, among others.
“ Natural gas is incredibly affordable and reliable. We are rapidly innovating toward having renewable natural gas and hydrogen play
a bigger role in the system. As companies think about, plan for and work towards a
carbon-neutral future, we believe there is an important role ahead for natural gas
distribution systems. I think it is an exciting and pivotal time for the industry.”
David Anderson, Chair of the Board of Directors for AGA and President and CEO of NW Natural
Read more about AGA’s
Focusing on InnovationWe continued to support R&D initiatives for Renewable Natural Gas and Hydrogen. AGA
distributed its RNG Potential Report and spoke on at numerous events. We formed a Hydrogen
Task Force and surveyed members on their current hydrogen activities and investments.
AGA released its annual Energy Efficiency Report which highlighted that natural gas utilities
funded 132 natural gas efficiency programs, 125 in 42 states, and seven in Canada. Utility
efficiency program investments remain consistent with spending of approximately $1.3 billion to
$1.4 billion dollars per year. With these significant investments, natural gas utilities helped their
customers save 259 trillion Btus of energy and offset over 13.5 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide emissions from 2012 to 2018, equivalent to taking 2.9 million cars off the road for a year.
Demonstrating Best in Class Association Management
On March 16, AGA’s entire staff began working remotely, quickly
addressing any IT challenges and ensuring effective performance
of our financial systems. During this time, we continued to
deliver value for our members and operate within our approved
budget while also being named a Top Workplace for the sixth
straight year by The Washington Post. We updated our Business
Continuity Plan and our Enterprise Risk Management Plan to best
support the industry and our customers in challenging times.
Learn more about AGA’s
POTENTIALPICTURING THE
#FuelingOurCommunitiesAGA launched the #FuelingOurCommunities campaign several years ago
to help highlight all the amazing work that natural gas utilities do in the
communities in which they operate. From supporting community food banks
and baseball leagues to schools and universities, they work consistently
to support their neighbors and community members. That support came
into sharper focus during the pandemic as the industry stepped up in
countless ways to support customers and communities every day during this
unprecedented time. Like natural gas utilities everywhere, AGA staff are eager
to serve and support our hometown of Washington, D.C. While the support may
have come in a different form in 2020, AGA and its employees were proud to
continue to support charitable organizations supporting those most in need,
including, Comfort Cases, So Others Might Eat and Martha’s Table.
#FuelingOurCommunities
“ America’s natural gas utilities are working every day
to build a safe, clean energy future for the people and
communities we serve.”
Diane Leopold, Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors for AGA
and Executive Vice President and COO, Dominion Energy
Learn more about #FuelingOurCommunities
SECOND VICE CHAIR
Suzanne Sitherwood President & CEO, Spire Inc. (St. Louis, MO)
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Diane Leopold, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Dominion Energy (Richmond, VA)
AGA Officers
CHAIR
David Anderson President and CEO, NW Natural (Portland, OR)
FIRST VICE CHAIR
Kim Greene Chairman, President & CEO, Southern Company Gas (Atlanta, GA)
AGA Leadership Team
PRESIDENT AND CEO
Karen Harbert
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Lori Traweek [email protected]
HUMAN RESOURCES
Megan Dunn, Vice President [email protected]
ADVOCACY & OUTREACH Susan Forrester, Vice President [email protected]
CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Gary Gardner, Vice President [email protected]
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Kevin Hardardt, Chief Financial Officer [email protected]
FEDERAL AFFAIRS
George Lowe, Vice President [email protected]
ENERGY MARKETS, ANALYSIS AND STANDARDS
Richard Meyer, Managing Director [email protected]
GENERAL COUNSEL
Michael Murray, General Counsel [email protected]
COMMUNICATIONS
Jennifer O’Shea, Vice President [email protected]
OPERATIONS & ENGINEERING
Christina Sames, Vice President [email protected]
The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than
200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the
United States. There are more than 76 million residential, commercial and
industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 95 percent — more
than 72 million customers — receive their gas from AGA members. AGA
is an advocate for natural gas utility companies and their customers and
provides a broad range of programs and services for member natural gas
pipelines, marketers, gatherers, international natural gas companies, and
industry associates. Today, natural gas meets more than thirty percent of
the United States’ energy needs.
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