Press Releases and Statements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Stuart Saulters

Phone: (202) 464-2742

Email: ssaulters@apga.org

APGA Members Are Committed to Security and Reliability

Washington, D.C. (July 26, 2022) – The American Public Gas Association (APGA), representing more than 730 communities across the U.S. that own and operate their retail natural gas distribution entities, is pleased to announce its Commitment to Security and Reliability, which was approved by the APGA members at the recent 2022 APGA Annual Meeting.

Pipelines are an inherently reliable form of infrastructure. Because gas distribution pipelines are buried underground, they are protected from extreme weather events. Retail natural gas customers rarely experience outages. On average, one in 800 customers will experience an unplanned outage each year. In comparison, electric customers experience an average of one outage per customer per year.

Public natural gas utilities recognize the importance of maintaining this exceptional record, ensuring their customers have access to clean energy.  They are taking steps specifically to ensure that their infrastructure is protected from cyberattacks and physical threats.

In APGA’s ongoing cyber and physical security initiatives, members are collaborating with the multiple local, state, and federal agencies responsible for ensuring both safety and reliability.  APGA supports enhancing existing regulators’ capabilities where necessary, ensuring an efficient partnership between public natural gas utilities and government partners. Specifically, APGA asks for:

1. Flexibility and scalability in achieving performance objectives;
2. Appropriateness and harmonization of reporting requirements;
3. Bi-directional information sharing; and,
4. Confirmation of information protection.

APGA is pleased to move forward with this new initiative on security and reliability and looks forward to working more with policymakers on these issues.