In The News

PGW Awarded a $10 Million Federal Grant for Infrastructure Safety

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aids in accelerating PGW’s Main Replacement Program and allows PGW to install new natural gas pipelines to improve safety and service reliability

Philadelphia, Pa (June 27, 2023) – Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) has been provisionally awarded a $10 million Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), established by President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

PGW is installing modern, durable (polyethylene) plastic natural gas lines to increase safety and enhance natural gas service reliability. Replacing aging cast iron pipes with material that does not rust or corrode and that eliminates methane escape will help PGW meet its 2050 goal of reducing methane emissions by 80 percent.

“We are grateful to PHMSA for their commitment to improving natural gas safety and service for Philadelphia residents,” said Joseph Hawkinson, Vice President of Field Operations at PGW. “This PHMSA grant will be used to install several miles of new natural gas pipelines that make operations safer for our communities as well as our employees and contributes to the shared climate goals of PGW and the City.”

Each year, PGW installs more than 30 miles of natural gas lines, and with each mile of new main, emissions are virtually eliminated. The PHMSA funding contributes to PGW’s expected goal of completing the replacement of its cast iron pipelines by 2058.

The PHMSA NGDISM grant program helps improve public safety, protect public health, and reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution pipes. The grant provides nearly $1 billion in funding over five years to modernize municipally- and community-owned natural gas distribution systems, like PGW, helping to keep communities across the country safe from pipeline leaks.

For information on the NGDISM grant program https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/news/biden-harris-administration-announces-historic-funding-37-projects-improve-safety-fix-old

For information on PGW’S pipeline improvements, go to pgworks.com/pipeline-map/

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PGW’S High-Tech Tools Enhance Natural Gas Pipeline Safety

PGW marks National Safety Month by highlighting its state-of-the-art advanced leak detection technology

Philadelphia, Pa (June 26, 2023) – Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) celebrates National Safety Month by educating the public on its vital infrastructure safety efforts through the use of Optical Methane Detection (OMD) technology. 

OMD is a removable apparatus attached to the front of PGW vehicles utilizing laser technology that detects the presence of methane (which is lighter and less dense than air) as PGW technicians drive along neighborhood streets. If methane is suspected, an alert is sent to a monitor mounted in the vehicle. PGW’s specially trained technicians will then walk the area with a handheld gas detection instrument that pinpoints the near-exact location of possible methane release.

“PGW’s OMD trucks can monitor between 200 to 250 city blocks a day,” said Joseph Leva, Superintendent of Operations and Maintenance at PGW. “OMD is a proven, reliable, and sensitive technology that is very effective in monitoring for potential leaks along pipelines. Whenever methane is detected over a certain range, a PGW field service crew will dispatch to the scene to investigate and take appropriate action to ensure safety.”

As PGW works to replace all cast iron pipelines by 2058, OMD and other PGW leak detection initiatives are essential in prioritizing main replacements for system safety, service reliability, and meeting PGW’s sustainability targets. 

To WATCH & SHARE VIDEO about PGW’s Optical Methane Detection technology, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfvmggY3tX4

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PGW RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL PAY LESS AS THE COST OF NATURAL GAS DECREASES

The average annual customer’s bills will fall by nearly $100

PHILADELPHIA (June 1, 2023) –The typical annual natural gas bill for Philadelphia Gas Works’ (PGW) residential customers will decrease by $98.86 effective June 1, 2023. The decrease follows PGW’s filing with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to adjust the Gas Cost Rate (GCR) for residential customers from $4.9740 to $3.5516 per one thousand cubic feet (Mcf).

The GCR represents the cost of natural gas PGW purchases from its gas suppliers and does not include a profit margin. The rate is recalculated quarterly (March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1) to show PGW’s actual costs. Customers are then notified of GCR adjustments through messages on their monthly bills.

“Affordability, reliability, and safety are our customers’ top concerns,” said Seth Shapiro, President & CEO of PGW. “Natural gas is consistently the most affordable source of energy for our customers, and we are proud of our team’s ability to continue to purchase gas at very competitive prices.”

PGW’s residential natural gas rates are determined by:

• Supply charge: the amount of a customer’s gas usage and what PGW pays for the gas, which is passed on to the customer without change.
• Delivery charge: the costs of delivering natural gas to residences, maintaining distribution systems, and other services.

A previous decrease in the GCR on March 1, 2023, combined with the June 1, 2023 GCR decrease, has lowered PGW customers’ natural gas bills by nearly $338 annually.
 

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