AGA American Gas Association : American Gas Foundation Announces Study Outlining Energy Resilience Framework

News ReleaseJanuary 13, 2021

Washington, D.C. - Today the American Gas Foundation (AGF) released a new study providing context to the important role natural gas plays in creating a more resilient future.

'If there is one thing that is clear from this study, it's that natural gas is the essential backbone of our energy system,' said Karen Harbert, President and CEO, American Gas Association. 'This analysis proves that in order to achieve a resilient, prosperous and cleaner energy future, our nation benefits from a diverse supply of energy assets, including natural gas.'

Building a Resilient Energy Future: How the Gas System Contributes to US Energy System Resilience, found recent high stress events-like storms and weather events-have shown the natural gas system is a key component in our energy resilient future.

• System resilience needs to be defined as a measurable and observable metric, similar tohow reliability is considered on the system.

• Methodologies need to be built for valuing resilience, such that it can be integrated into a standard cost-benefit analysis. Value must consider the avoided direct and indirect costs to the service provider, customers and society.

• Resilience solutions must be considered from a fuel-neutral perspective and across utility jurisdictions, requiring electric, gas, and dual-fuel utilities to work together to determine optimal solutions.

This AGF study serves as the framework for policymakers and stakeholders to use when evaluating our energy future. It can be found at gasfoundation.org.

The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States. There are more than 76 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 95 percent - more than 72 million customers - receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets more than thirty percent of the United States' energy needs.