AGA recently put out some pretty good public service announcements on energy efficiency. Chris McGill and the communications team (people besides me, I didn’t work on those) did a great job on them. If you haven’t heard them on your favorite radio stations then you can listen to them on our energy efficiency page.

Natural Gas Utilities on Earth Day

Our members do outstanding work in being caretakers of the environment. These are local utilities that employ people who live where they work. Of course they’re going to take care of their own neighborhoods. For them, every day is Earth day. Still, sometimes I think people forget this and we probably need to spend more time highlighting some of the excellent work that goes on out there.

Let’s take Nicor for example. Why Nicor? Well, because I really like Annette Martinez over there. I popped her a quick email, “Hey you guys have anything we can profile for the blog on Earth Day?” I get back, “Sure. I’ll ask Richard Caragol to send you a little something.”

This is a little something.

The 2009 recycling statistics from Nicor Gas:

• Paper recycled from GO - 270,160 lbs.
• Used Oil & Antifreeze – 6,953 Gallons
• Parts Washer Solvent – 570 Gallons
• Oil Filters – 1,400 lbs
• Computer Equipment/Electronics – 24,210 lbs
• Universal Waste (including Batteries & Light Bulbs) – 4,959 lbs
• Steel – 3,002,817 lbs (1501 tons)
• Aluminum – 504,959 lbs (252 tons)
• Copper/Brass - 3357 lbs
• Plastic – 137887 (69 tons)

Richard also said that Nicor just won the 2010 SGA Environmental Excellence Award (for the fourth consecutive year I might add) for their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification initiative on a new facility in Des Plaines. We’ve talked about LEED certification before when Dominion did it. Going LEED is definitely taking the road less traveled. The facility is situated on about five acres and the building is 31,000 square feet to accommodate office space, vehicles, and storage. You can read the full details here.

We’re still in National Safe Digging Month you say? Well, I say check out Nicor’s release from today on calling your local 811 number before you dig to put in that spring garden. Good information there.

That’s just a few recent projects from one of our members. We’ve got almost 200 members doing the same kinds of things. Yes, Earth Day is very important to us.

If anyone wants to chime in and highlight something they’re doing in their community, feel free to leave a comment below.

Among other things, I would like to see the energy and climate legislation include provisions to ensure that energy efficiency standards for appliances and homes will really improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and not be counterproductive window dressing.

To be effective, we need to measure energy efficiency and carbon footprint on a life cycle “source energy” basis.  This is the approach recommended by the National Academy of Sciences report and supported by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in its joint statement with AGA.

They agree that it makes no sense to burn natural gas at a power station to serve consumer needs that can be served more efficiently through “direct use” – i.e. by burning the natural gas directly in the home in efficient natural gas furnaces and water heaters.

You have to combust  two to three times more natural gas (!) – and emit two to three times more carbon dioxide – to deliver the same number of hot showers and warm homes in electric resistance appliances.  And that does not even take into account the emissions resulting from electric appliances served by coal-fired power plants.  Source energy is an idea whose time has come.

Want to know more?  See my article “A Climate of Change” in this month’s American Gas magazine.

Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) – “Distribution Partner of the Year” award. Con Edison joined the Natural Gas STAR program in 1993 and has consistently reported voluntary methane emission reduction activities each year since joining. The company has reported some of the highest emissions reductions of any natural gas distribution company through the implementation of new and innovative technologies and practices. Con Edison has continued to be an active partner with the program and has been sharing information on methane emission reduction projects such as the Cast Iron Joint Sealing Robot that has been featured by the EPA.

Laclede Gas Company (Laclede) – “Rookie of the Year” award. Laclede joined the Natural Gas STAR program in 2007, and since that time has participated in the Annual Workshop and engaged the program early on to begin discussing methane emission reduction project ideas. Laclede submitted its first annual report in 2008 outlining its emission reduction activities, including a successful Damage Prevention Program which was featured in the Summer 2008 Partner Update. In addition, to submitting emission reductions for 2007, Laclede also reported its historical emission reduction data back to 1993. To gain support for their Program, their Implementation Manager works closely with colleagues in other departments to draw the link between emissions reduction and operation activities.

ONEOK Partners – “Gathering and Processing Partner of the Year” award. ONEOK Partners joined the Natural Gas STAR Program in 2000 and recently reinvigorated its Program efforts – substantially increasing methane emission reductions. ONEOK has promoted education of employees on methane and greenhouse gas emissions through their corporate website and in company newsletters. They also share information about their participation in the Natural Gas STAR Program as part of corporate trainings at each of their subsidiaries. Three ONEOK subsidiary distribution companies recently joined Natural Gas STAR in 2007, expanding the company’s overall participation.

El Paso Pipeline Group (El Paso) – “Transmission Partner of the Year” award. El Paso joined the Natural Gas STAR program in 1996 and since that time has reported the implementation of a variety of technologies and practices. For 2007, El Paso reported the highest new reductions of any partner in the transmission sector. El Paso has been a consistent supporter of the Natural Gas STAR Program advancing leak detection technologies, participating in workshops and providing detailed information on their impressive emission reduction activities to support the Program’s technology transfer efforts.

Other AGA member company award winners were: Puget Sound Energy – 5 Year participation in the Natural Gas STAR Program; Atmos Energy – 7 Year participation in the Natural Gas STAR Program; Iroquois Gas Transmission and PECO Energy Company – 12 Year participation in the Natural Gas STAR Program.

When is the discussion of the footprint associated with oil and natural gas development, pipeline infrastructure or any energy-related facility for that matter, going to be conducted within the context of 21^st century technology? Without doubt energy production in the U.S. carries with it a footprint and a history not always exemplary with respect to environmental stewardship. However, today’s petroleum industry includes multi-well development from single pads, includes zero-discharge offshore facilities, includes underwater reef building associated with production platforms and pipeline construction and an additional list of surface remediation strategies as long as your arm. Is no credit offered to the engineering and investment in these elements of our energy industry because they go largely unseen? Every source of energy today, whether it be renewable, traditional or even still in the eye of a thoughtful beholder has a footprint.

Would it be asking too much to conduct the debate on our national energy future and climate change policy on a level playing field using a refreshed, current view of energy development technology? In my view that time has come.