Natural Gas Pipeline Safety: How Weather Technology Can Help
Natural gas pipeline safety is a topic most people don’t think about until tragedy happens. The US natural gas pipeline system is a complex system of pipelines moving gas throughout the United States. This natural gas is used by millions of people daily for consumer and commercial needs. In order to set the stage for this post, here are some of interesting statistics to consider:
- The U.S. natural gas pipeline network is designed to transport natural gas to and from most locations in the country. Approximately two-thirds of the lower 48 States depend almost entirely on the interstate transmission pipeline system for their supplies of natural gas.
- According to the United States Energy Information Administration, more than 210 pipeline systems create a total of almost 305,000 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines.
- In 2021, this natural gas transportation network delivered about 27.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas to about 77.7 million consumers.
Recently, regulations by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for the gas/fuel industry were updated to now require companies to actively monitor weather conditions that threaten pipes.
According to the American Gas Association, “America’s natural gas utilities spend more than $32 billion annually to help enhance the safety of natural gas delivery systems.” Natural gas pipeline safety is vital especially since natural disasters and hazardous weather can cause pipes to shift, leak, or spill, ultimately leading to explosions, wildfires, lawsuits, and more.
Harnessing weather technology and data has become a new strategy to ensuring natural gas pipeline safety. Natural gas organizations are searching for resilient solutions that keep employees and customers safe while ensuring a healthy bottom line. And they are turning to Baron Weather to provide services like real-time weather monitoring and custom alerting, as these tools can help in resolving regulatory issues quickly.
Check out the use case about how Baron Weather can help the industry monitor natural gas pipeline safety to protect employees, customers, and customer property.