Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award Presented at American Gas
Association’s Annual Conference
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is pleased to announce that
Steve Redding Sr., director of the company’s leak management program,
was named as the recipient of the 2015 Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial
Award at the American Gas Association’s annual Operations Conference and
Biennial Exhibition in Grapevine, Texas, today. The prestigious award
recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward
the detection, prevention and repair of natural gas leaks.
“Steve has pioneered improvements to the way we find and fix leaks, not
just at PG&E but throughout the industry. He helped bring new gas
leak-detecting technologies from Silicon Valley into our gas operations
and that has elevated our company as a leader in leak detection and
repair. Steve’s work has a direct impact on the safety and reliability
of our system and we are incredibly proud to have him as a member of the
PG&E family for more than 40 years,” said Nick Stavropoulos, executive
vice president of Gas Operations at PG&E.
Redding was awarded for his achievements in reducing leaks through the
use of cutting-edge technologies like Picarro’s vehicle-mounted
detection device and the development of a management process unique to
PG&E that is streamlining the company’s ability to respond to leaks
called Super Crew. Redding and his team have delivered unprecedented
results with Picarro and Super Crew including the reduction of PG&E’s
backlog of minor, non-hazardous leaks by 99 percent and the ability to
find 80 percent more leaks than previous models, and in less time.
Redding’s work to reduce leaks on the natural gas system not only
improves the safety of the pipeline for PG&E customers and communities,
it also contributes to a cleaner environment by reducing methane
emissions.
“Steve Redding’s dedication to leveraging innovative technology,
equipment and procedures to manage leaks exemplifies the qualities of
the Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award and the individuals we recognize
for their contributions to the natural gas industry,” said Dave McCurdy,
president and chief executive officer of the American Gas Association.
“On behalf of the American Gas Association, I am pleased to honor Steve
for his work to advance the way natural gas utilities are identifying
leaks within their systems to provide continued safe and reliable
service for customers.”
Since beginning his career at PG&E in gas metering, Redding has held a
number of leadership positions from overseeing major pipeline
construction to serving as a general rate case witness. In his current
role as director of leak management, Redding and his team work to
increase system safety by finding and fixing leaks and identifying more
effective leak detection technology. Redding has a Business Management
Degree from St. Mary’s College in California.
The American Gas Association was founded in 1918 and represents more
than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas
throughout the United States. There are more than 72 million
residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the
U.S., of which 94 percent, more than 68 million customers, receive their
gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets more than one-fourth of
the United States' energy needs.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco,
with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the
nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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Source: PG&E