ICC policy session hosts panels on aging pipeline infrastructure, system upgrades and safety improvements

In the face of an aging pipeline system, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) last week hosted a three-panel series of policy sessions on the infrastructure and safety of the state’s gas distribution system.

The panels were divided into an overview of Illinois’ gas distribution system, discussions of how to modernize and address subsurface challenges, and addressed how to improve safety through data, technology, analytics, and system upgrades. In all cases, technology plays a key role. Panelists included experts from government officials as well as private industry with stakes in the system.

“Considering the increasing usage of natural gas as an efficient source of both distributed generation and a residential heat source, combined with concerns about the safety of aging pipeline infrastructure, it is now more important than ever to understand safety measures and recent innovation in the industry,” ICC Acting Commissioner Anastasia Palivos said.

In the first panel, experts noted the challenges of maintaining and repairing an aging pipeline system in rural and urban areas alike and stressed the need for modernization, which certain measures like the Natural Gas Consumer Safety & Reliability Act have made more palatable. After all, procedures and training, noted Andy Hasselbach, vice president of construction for Peoples Gas, only go so far in the face of crumbling materials.

The second panel noted that excavation is stepping up pipeline failure both in Illinois and abroad. Damage prevention is becoming even more important, and Bryan Pemble, a pipeline safety analyst for the ICC, stressed the importance of reporting violations to the authorities.

The last panel stressed smart meters, remote disconnect devices and similar technological advancements as critical for the promotion of future safety. Moving to corrosion-resistant materials is likewise important — cast iron mains are nearly twice as likely to result in injury or death, according to the Gas Technology Institute’s Tony Lindsay, and four times more likely to be involved in accidents. Lines will need to be switched to newer materials or risk greater incidents.