Southern Company Gas 2022 Sustainability Executive Summary Final 4.19.23 - Flipbook - Page 11
Net-Zero Pathways
Southern Company Gas recognizes that climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing society today. We are
fueling a sustainable future through our commitment to reducing GHG emissions from our own business and value chain.
We believe natural gas and the infrastructure that transports it is foundational to a clean energy future.
Natural gas companies, including Southern Company Gas, have played a critical role in reducing emissions for decades.
Since 1971, according to the American Gas Association, continued efficiency improvements in clean, affordable natural gas
have reduced residential CO2 emissions per customer by 47%. Looking forward, studies show that natural gas and natural
gas infrastructure are essential for building pathways to achieve a sustainable, affordable energy future. According to the
AGA, natural gas efficiency improvements, paired with emission reduction technologies and renewable gas, are critical to
meeting an economy-wide 2050 net-zero target.
In 2022, we published a landmark study with a third-party consultant, ICF, which details pathways for our natural gas
distribution companies to reach net-zero direct GHG emissions, including methane, while using our existing gas delivery
systems. The study concluded that the use of natural gas and existing infrastructure are foundational to reaching a
net-zero, clean energy future with the greatest consumer affordability.
Net-Zero Operations
Action paves the road to a sustainable future. For decades, Southern Company Gas has taken concrete steps to reduce
our operational GHG emissions. Our efforts align with Southern Company’s goal to reduce direct Scope 1 GHG emissions
enterprise-wide by 50% from 2007 levels by 2030 and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.
One near-term priority is minimizing methane emissions.
Our efforts to reach net-zero operational emissions,
including methane emissions, include:
Reduction in blowdown emissions: We are implementing
technologies and operational practices, such as cross-compression,
to minimize gas release during blowdown procedures.
Pipeline modernization and replacement: Across our entire
service area, we are investing in improving and modernizing
our system. These efforts reduce methane emissions, in
addition to enhancing service safety, reliability and resiliency
for our customers.
Fleet vehicles: We began implementing compressed natural gas
vehicles for our fleet in the late 1970s. Today, we continue to expand
our usage of CNG in our fleet and build CNG fueling stations to
support external partners. We have operated 4,540 alternative
vehicles to date, with 410 currently in service. Since 2010, we have
more than doubled the number of active alternative vehicles in our
fleet. Virginia Natural Gas leads the company with CNG fuel usage—
and about 70% of its fleet is run with CNG—which produces up to
95% fewer emissions from common urban pollutants compared to
gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles and reduces GHG emissions by
20% to 30% compared to traditional fuels.
Advanced leak detection and repair: We continually monitor
and conduct routine inspections and leak surveys of our system.
We employ innovative leak detection technology to identify,
quantify and ultimately reduce the emissions footprint of the
natural gas we deliver while bringing additional operational and
safety benefits to our customers and employees. We have
significantly increased leak repairs across our footprint and
reduced active leaks by over 75% since 2018.
Damage prevention: Third-party excavation damage is the
number one risk to our distribution infrastructure. To reduce
excavation damage risk, we deploy damage prevention
processes with both internal and external partners. We engage
in community outreach, education and awareness of 811—the
national call-before-you-dig phone number—and utilize
predictive analytics to reduce methane emissions and public
safety concerns associated with third-party damages.
Renewable gas: We are pursuing opportunities and investing in
projects to accelerate the adoption of renewable gas, commonly
defined as any pipeline-compatible gaseous fuel derived from
biogenic or other renewable energy resources. This includes
investments in renewable natural gas and hydrogen, which will
help to decrease the carbon intensity of our fuel even further.
See the Energy Reliability, Resiliency and Affordability section to
learn more about our infrastructure modernization efforts and
the Innovation and R&D section to learn more about our
low-carbon technology solutions.
2022 Sustainability Executive Summary
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