Southern Company Gas enjoys two-decade run of lowering emissions
As companies and energy providers strive to build a clean energy future, Southern Company Gas can look back on a solid foundation that has been built over the past two decades.
During a 20-year timeframe, from 1998 to 2018, Southern Company Gas successfully reduced its annual methane emissions by 50% while growing its distribution system by 20%. From 1998 to 2018, the company invested more than $2.2 billion in pipeline and infrastructure improvements that have reduced fugitive methane emissions. During that same timeframe, the company replaced over 6,000 miles of pipe material that is more prone to fugitive emissions, resulting in mitigation of more than 3.3 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent.
The distribution system comprised of Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas, Nicor Gas and Virginia Natural Gas operates at almost 99% efficiency. These companies continue to work diligently to reduce the remaining 0.13% fugitive methane emissions by continuing to invest in methane detection and reduction across their footprint and exploring offset opportunities. In addition, Southern Company Gas is focusing on opportunities to support carbon emission reductions across the natural gas value chain by expanding already robust energy efficiency programs and deploying emerging natural gas direct use technologies, pursuing renewable natural gas (RNG) opportunities that can capture, remove and reuse methane generated from other sources like agriculture and landfills and promoting natural gas that is produced in a more sustainable way by upstream suppliers.
The sterling 20-year track record of cutting emissions is only the beginning for Southern Company Gas. The company has been a leader on carbon emission reduction projects by serving as a trusted consumer education source for energy efficiency and participating in federal emissions reduction programs. This includes being a founding member of Our Nation’s Energy Future (ONE Future) where industries across the value chain voluntarily set goals for methane emission reductions. Our emissions intensity reduction goals mirror those established by the ONE Future program. The Southern Company Gas current intensity rate of 0.13% is less than ONE Future goals for 2020 (0.48 %) and 2025 (0.44%).
Southern Company Gas has shown it is on the leading edge of innovation in the energy industry. In short, it is growing by leaps and bounds while also reducing its impact on the environment. In a world that has become increasingly environmentally conscious, Southern Company Gas has laid a solid groundwork for the future.