Jun 7, 2018 Natural Gas Industry: Reliable, Resilient, Secure
Washington, D.C. – The Natural Gas Council (NGC), which represents the companies that collectively include nearly all aspects of the production, transportation, sales and delivery of the nation’s natural gas network, today said:
“The natural gas delivery system has an exceptional and longstanding record of reliability and resilience made possible by our product’s physical characteristics, operational practices and the multitude of market options for serving our customers. From production to delivery, natural gas production and use is moving our economy forward, providing royalties and revenues for local and federal government, new jobs and clean, reliable fuel for customers.
“Abundant natural gas provides our electric system the flexibility needed to meet constantly, and often rapidly, changing electricity demands.
“Physical and cybersecurity protections are integral to the natural gas system, and our members are proud of their commitment to constantly enhancing that system to help ensure the reliable, safe delivery of natural gas to U.S. consumers.
“The physical properties of the natural gas supply and delivery system itself offer a great advantage over many other fuels. Natural gas supplies are geographically diverse, pipeline systems are interconnected, and natural gas moves at a relatively slow rate of about 15-20 miles per hour, unlike the power system, which requires instantaneous balancing. As a result, incidents affecting natural gas supply and infrastructure do not lead to cascading, widespread outages.
“The natural gas system is characterized by multiple fail-safes, redundancies and back-ups. Functions are divided across networks so that they are isolated from one another, a feature that further secures systems.
“Natural gas companies actively manage their cybersecurity risk and put into place appropriate security controls to mitigate these risks. They follow the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, along with other information security and industrial control systems security standards. Central to the industry’s commitment is its participation in Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, which allow for timely dissemination of intelligence related to threats and vulnerabilities.
“We are committed to safety and security, and will do our part to continue to improve and strengthen our sector’s security.”
For further information, see the Natural Gas Council White Paper on Reliability and Resilience at www.NaturalGasCouncil.org
####
The Natural Gas Council was formed in 1992, uniting all sectors of the natural gas industry to work together toward common goals. The five full members of the Council — the American Gas Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Natural Gas Supply Association — collectively represent nearly all the companies that produce, transport and distribute natural gas consumed in the United States. Leadership of the NGC rotates annually, with the Natural Gas Supply Association leading the Council in 2018. www.naturalgascouncil.org
