FACTS THE Methane Emissions Update

Transcription

1 THE FACTS 2014 Methane Emissions Update AGL Resources primary business is natural gas distribution to residential, commercial and industrial customers through a vast pipeline network. For more than two decades, we have been committed to addressing GHG emissions aggressively. We have a track record of success through participation in federal emissions reduction programs, investments in system safety and reliability improvements, and efforts to develop sound government policy for GHG emissions regulation AGL Resources Inc. All rights reserved. AGLR-13690

2 NATURAL GAS VALUE CHAIN EMISSIONS PERSPECTIVE Natural gas is the earth s cleanest fossil fuel. Natural gas is made primarily of methane (CH 4 ), a molecule composed of four hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. Gasoline averages eight times the number of carbon atoms and diesel averages 14 times more. However, methane is a greenhouse gas (GHG), and it is 25 times more potent than CO 2 early in its life cycle. Methane - CH 4 Natural gas systems emissions are a small share of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Less than 1.3% of natural gas escapes as it travels from production site to point of use. Of that 1.3%, less than 0.24% of produced natural gas is emitted from natural gas utility systems. GHG Emissions by Pollutant and % of Methane from Natural Gas Systems CO 2 N 2 O HFCs, PFCs, SF 6 CH 4 from Natural Gas Systems Other CH 4 Emissions 2% 3% 6% 6% 83% America s natural gas utilities pipeline upgrades and modernization have contributed to declining emissions for decades. Direct Use of Natural Gas is the Clean, Efficient Choice Distribution system emissions have dropped 22% since 1990, even as the industry has added more than 600,000 miles of pipeline, an increase of 30%. Pipeline Replacement Lowers Emissions Million Metric Tons CO 2- equivalent Estimated Potential Emissions from Main Pipe Installed Main Pipe Thousand Miles of Main 1,300 1,200 1,100 1, % efficiency Converting natural gas or any fossil fuel into electricity to power appliances only maintains 35% of its usable energy. 92% efficiency The direct use of natural gas maintains about 92% of its usable energy by the time it gets to your home or business. Source: AGA analysis based on Department of Transportation data and EPA Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks

3 AGL RESOURCES PIPELINE REPLACEMENT Our natural gas utility companies have been leading the industry in pipeline replacement since the 1990s. Bare steel and cast iron pipe have the highest potential to develop leaks in a natural gas system. To achieve important safety and reliability objectives, we ve replaced much of our older pipe with state-of-the-art corrosion resistant pipes, and we report our progress each year through public utility commissions and other government agencies. By the end of 2015, we also will have replaced more than 400 of 750 miles of vintage plastic pipe installed from the 60s to early 80s. This older plastic pipe is at a higher risk of becoming brittle or being damaged. Bare Steel and Cast Iron Pipe Remaining in AGL Resources System BY THE NUMBERS $1.7B Capital spending since 1998 in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia on pipeline replacement and repairs 4,300 miles Bare steel and cast iron pipe replaced since million Metric tons of CO 2 equivalent emissions saved since 1998 from replacing bare steel/cast iron pipes CO 2 Since 1998, AGL Resources has been aggressive with investment programs targeting pipeline replacement to improve the safety and performance of its natural gas system. Importantly, this replacement program also resulted in the removal of 2.2 million metric tons of CO 2 equivalent from its system. We will continue to work diligently to remove the remaining bare steel and cast iron pipe from our system and are confident we can continue to achieve important emission reductions. #1 Our ranking by the American Gas Association magazine in naming us a best practice example for replacing more miles of pipe than any company in the eastern U.S.

4 AGL RESOURCES PIPELINE REPLACEMENT BY UTILITY In 1998, AGL Resources launched a pioneering program that replaced 2,712 miles of bare steel/cast iron pipe in Georgia. Today, our other utilities are completing similar programs. Virginia Natural Gas is using a 5-year plan, Steps to Advance Virginia s Energy (SAVE), to replace more than 200 miles of bare steel, cast iron and vintage plastic gas mains and services lines. Elizabethtown Gas multi-year Utility Infrastructure Enhancement (UIE) replacement program completed 100 miles of gas mains and services replacement in 2012, and its 4-year Accelerated Infrastructure Replacement (AIR) program to replace aging, bare steel and cast iron pipe is almost complete. Our Tennessee utility, Chattanooga Gas Company, recently began a program to replace more than 110 miles of aging gas main pipe with technologically advanced plastic and steel pipes. In 2013, Atlanta Gas Light completed a 15-year program of replacing all bare steel/cast iron pipes with state-of-the-art materials. % Bare Pipe vs. all Bare Pipe in Nation % Cast/Wrought Iron Pipe vs. all Cast/Wrought Iron Pipe in Nation The charts above illustrate which states have the largest amount of leak-susceptible bare steel (BS) and cast iron (CI) pipe. The green bars represent states in which AGL Resources has operating utilities, and the numbers above those bars show each of our utilities percentages of the nation s total compared to each state s national percentage. As you can see, even in states that are lagging the country, AGL Resources efforts have put us well ahead of our peer group in replacing this pipe and reducing GHG emissions.

5 AGL RESOURCES METHANE EMISSIONS REDUCTION INITIATIVES As one of seven natural gas companies and one of two utilities, we formed Our Nation s Energy Future, which has a voluntary goal of reducing methane leaks across the value chain to < 1%. All available science indicates this goal is not only cost-effective and attainable, but it also makes natural gas the indisputable fuel of choice from a climate perspective. We are working with the White House, EPA, DOE and FERC to make this a reality. BY THE NUMBERS 723k Metric tons of CO 2 equivalent emissions reduced since 1993, saving customers $8.9 million as a result of being a founding member and 21-year participant in Gas STAR, and tracking Best Management Practices and EPAdeveloped emissions factors Methane Emissions From Natural Gas Systems (mmtco 2 e)* Stage Field Production Processing Transmission and Storage Distribution Total * These values represent CH4 emitted to the atmosphere. CH4 that is captured, flared, or otherwise controlled (and not emitted to the atmosphere) has been calculated and removed from the emissions totals. Note: Emissions values are presented in CO2 equivalent mass units. Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Our Renewco plant in Athens, TN, turns air pollution from a landfill into pipeline-quality gas. Customer Use 700k Metric tons of CO 2 equivalent emissions savings since inception of our Athens, TN, Renewco Meadow Branch landfill gas plant that turns landfill gas into pipeline quality gas We clean the gas coming from the Meadow Branch landfill and inject it into an East Tennessee transmission pipeline. The resulting renewable natural gas, largely comprised of methane, is used to displace natural gas that otherwise would be consumed. There s enough produced to fuel nearly 10,000 homes annually. Clean Up Landfill CO 2 & Methane Collected

6 AGL RESOURCES METHANE EMISSIONS BASELINE AGL Resources is disclosing all natural gas methane emissions voluntarily, going well beyond EPA reporting requirements, to provide the most transparency to our stakeholders about our greenhouse gas emissions and our efforts to reduce them. Shown here are our 2014 natural gas emissions shown in CO 2 equivalents. Methane Emissions by Source Type and Business Unit Pivotal LNG/Energy Elkton Gas Florida City Gas Chattanooga Gas Co. Virginia Nat. Gas Elizabethtown Gas Nicor Gas ATL Gas Light Pipeline Improvements to Continue Over Next 10 Years AGL Resources has achieved methane emissions reduction by staying focused on doing the right things around safety and system modernization. Replacing aging infrastructure that is nearing the end of its useful life and accelerating the replacement rate of pipe that has shown indications of premature aging is a process we initiated more than 17 years ago and we continue today. Working with state regulators at each of our utilities has allowed us to develop a customized approach to pipe replacement and system modernization that balances meeting corporate objectives with managing the customer impact resulting from these programs. In 2015, we are embarking on the following safety and reliability activities that also will achieve significant GHG emissions reductions: A 9-year infrastructure replacement program, Investing in Illinois, is replacing hundreds of miles of aging pipe and upgrading infrastructure in northern Illinois. A 10-year, $1.2 billion plan, Safety, Modernization and Reliability Tariff (SMART), to replace 630 miles of vintage, at-risk pipe in New Jersey. For more information, go to aglresources.com