May 2016, Vol. 243, No. 5
Web Exclusive
Baltimore Gas and Electric Continues to Accelerate Natural Gas Infrastructure Replacement
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) continues to modernize the natural gas system serving customers in central Maryland, replacing more than 52 miles of gas mains in the first two full years under the company’s Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (STRIDE) plan.
Another 45 miles of gas mains are projected to be replaced this year as the company continues to accelerate its gas equipment replacement program following passage of Maryland’s STRIDE law in 2013 and the Maryland Public Service Commission’s approval of the plan in March 2014.
“Our STRIDE plan enables us to begin work on more streets and neighborhoods and increase the number of gas mains we systematically and proactively replace,” said Stephen J. Woerner, president and chief operating officer of BGE.
STRIDE allows gas utilities to recover some costs of pipeline modernization work as the work is being done, making it possible to replace more aging equipment sooner. BGE invested more than $145 million (about $55 million in 2014 and $90 million in 2015) and is projecting the 2016 investment to be $113 million.
BGE’s 2016 STRIDE plan includes 63 separate projects ranging from BGE operation pipeline projects that proactively upgrade whole neighborhood gas systems, to projects replacing gas mains along single streets. The plan also includes area-wide programs to replace thousands of service and riser pipes that connect customers’ gas meters to the gas mains. Nearly 12,000 service pipes and risers were addressed in the first two years of the program, with nearly 8,000 additional services included in the program in 2016.
STRIDE projects are located throughout central Maryland, including the city of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, Prince George’s County, Carroll County and Howard County. More than 700 gas infrastructure modernization jobs have been created across Maryland since implementation of STRIDE.
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