Natural Gas Utility Security
Reliability and Safety Are Our Business
Natural gas utilities have decades of experience protecting their infrastructure against threats.
- For more than a century, natural gas utilities have been developing, implementing and refining measures to address threats — natural and manmade — to their gas service. Delivering natural gas despite adversity and challenges is our job: we do it every day.
- While the threat of terrorism is present, our focus on emergency response and security measures has been time-tested by decades of experience responding to disasters such as tornadoes. Gas utilities review, test and update procedures regularly. Clearly, gas utilities have been and will continue to enhance security programs.
Utilities have extensive contingency plans to address threats to both physical and information infrastructures.
- As the nation came under attack, natural gas utilities began operating under established security procedures for a state of "heightened alert."
- All natural gas utilities must comply with Department of Transportation regulations to establish written emergency procedures to minimize hazards in the event of a gas pipeline incident.
- Natural gas utilities have well-established coordination and communication procedures with local firefighters, police and other emergency officials. Also, many gas utilities maintain relationships with other gas companies in their region so they can provide assistance to any utility under duress.
- The physical structure of the natural gas delivery system minimizes the spread of hazards from any gas pipeline emergency. There are multiple redundancies along the delivery system that provide operators with flexibility in re-directing and shutting down gas flow.
The Gas Industry Is Working with Federal Agencies
The American Gas Association (AGA) is working with appropriate federal agencies to identify possible terrorist threats to pipeline safety and reliability.
- The AGA is working with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that our energy infrastructure is protected.
- The AGA and Department of Transportation continue to discuss recommendations regarding infrastructure and business.
More information about natural gas and security is available on the AGA Web site.
Resource: American Gas Association. Wisconsin Public Service is a member of the American Gas Association.