Company Replaced 847 Miles of Cast Iron Pipeline with Stronger and
Greener Material, Reducing Methane Emissions
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it completed its
system-wide replacement of all known cast iron pipeline ahead of
self-imposed 2014 year-end goal. The company replaced the older lines
with stronger, more efficient and seismically sound pipelines throughout
its 70,000 square-mile service area.
“This is another important milestone as we work toward our goal of
building the safest, most reliable gas system in the nation. Our gas
team, led by industry veterans Nick Stavropoulos and Jesus Soto, has
made incredible progress in transforming our system. We have more work
to do, and we won’t rest until it’s done, and done right,” said PG&E
President Chris Johns.
Throughout this project, PG&E employees replaced 847 miles of cast iron
pipeline—more than enough to stretch from San Francisco to Seattle.
“Removing all the cast iron from our distribution system is a
cornerstone of building a 21st century gas system to serve
our customers for the long term. As we continue to modernize our
infrastructure, we’re using the latest gas-safety technology and
best-in-class procedures so that our customers can count on us for safe,
reliable and affordable service,” said Stavropoulos, PG&E executive vice
president, Gas Operations.
(Click
here for a video regarding the cast iron replacement project)
Stavropoulos announced this end of 2014 completion goal while at a White
House conference on climate change and energy policy last July. In order
to meet this commitment, Stavropoulos stressed the importance of
building a skilled workforce. PG&E has continued to hire industry
leaders in every part of its gas operations to reach its goal of
transforming its gas system.
“It took single-minded determination by our crews, engineers and support
teams throughout PG&E to complete this project within the ambitious
timeline. I am extremely proud of everyone who had a hand in making this
happen safely and on schedule,” Stavropoulos said.
PG&E has implemented one of the most comprehensive gas pipeline
modernization programs in the nation and has been recognized for its
efforts as it earned two prestigious international safety-focused asset
management certifications for its gas operations. PG&E is one of the
first utilities in the world to hold both the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) 55001: 2014 and Publicly Available
Specification (PAS) 55-1: 2008 certifications. The certifications were
awarded by the independent, internationally recognized auditor, Lloyd's
Register, in 2014.
The company said it replaced the last segment of known cast iron
pipeline in late December 2014.
For more information about PG&E’s pipeline replacement program please
visit www.pge.com/seeourprogress.
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: Pacific Gas and Electric Company