From May 19-22, more than 2,000 attendees gathered in Grapevine, Texas for four days, more than 120 presentations and sessions, and more than 200 exhibitions – all focused on delivering our nation’s domestic abundance of natural gas even more safely, reliably, efficiently and affordably.
The annual AGA Operations Conference is the premiere gathering for the natural gas utility industry, providing a forum for operations professionals and experts from AGA’s more than 200 member companies throughout North America to come together and discuss current issues, share best practices and work toward raising the performance of the industry nationwide. This year, the Operations Conference coincided with the Biennial Exhibition, which featured a record 218 exhibitions showcasing the latest in natural gas utility technology and innovation.
AGA Chairman Terry McCallister, Chairman, President & CEO of WGL Holdings, Inc. and Washington Gas addresses AGA Operations Conference attendees in Grapevine, Texas.
A Focus on Safety
This year, safety remained the core theme of the conference, with topics covering excavation damage prevention, disaster response, pipeline maintenance and materials, emissions measurement, environmental management, worker safety, workforce development and more. AGA member company executives discussed safety culture and gave an update on the new voluntary national AGA Peer Review Program. Attendees also heard presentations selected from AGA’s Best Practices Program on topics including infrastructure replacement programs at Consumers Energy, damage prevention at Washington Gas and redefining leak management at Pacific Gas & Electric.
AGA Operations Conference attendees participated in more than 120 presentations, panels and discussions on enhancing the safety and performance of natural gas operations.
Recognizing Excellence
AGA awarded 21 companies with Safety Achievement Awards in both worker and vehicle safety, and presented individual awards for contributions to natural gas operations including emissions management, using GPS technology to map infrastructure and enhance records management, and furthering research and development in safety, delivery, design, construction, maintenance, operations and efficiency. AGA also granted the first annual AGA Safety Awareness Video Excellence Award to Atmos Energy for their video, “Do you Dig It? Always Call Before You Dig.”
Recipients of the 2015 AGA Safety Achievement Award
Saving Lives
Natural gas utility employees serve their communities every day, in all weather, often going above and beyond their basic duties. Every year, AGA recognizes a member company employee who “has performed the most meritorious act in the gas industry in saving a human life during the prior year.” This year, AGA presented the Meritorious Service Award to Kacee Rogers of SourceGas, who rescued a woman after she had lost control of her vehicle and drove into a frozen pond. Rogers’ heroic action is an example of the qualities so often seen in natural gas utility employees – quick action, selflessness, a calm demeanor and a desire to help. Every day, local utility employees put those qualities to work, helping to ensure that homes and businesses can safely access the energy they need when they need it.
AGA Chairman Terry McCallister, Chairman, President & CEO of WGL Holdings, Inc. and Washington Gas presents Kacee Rogers of SourceGas with the 2015 AGA Meritorious Service Award.
Giving Back
Natural gas utilities are part of their local communities and are focused on service. This year, AGA staff and conference attendees continued that tradition by helping to assemble bikes with the Texas-based Bikes for Goodness Sake Foundation. The AGA team, assisted by a contribution from host utility Atmos Energy, assembled 20 bikes, which were delivered to the Grapevine Police Community Outreach Center to be distributed to local children at the start of the summer reading program.
AGA Staff and Operations Conference attendee volunteers pose with bikes assembled for Bikes for Goodness Sake.
By joining together and learning from each other throughout the year at events such as the Operations Conference, America’s local natural gas utilities are raising the bar and elevating the safety and performance of the entire natural gas industry. For more highlights from this year’s conference, visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
