Progress in first quarter of 2022 keeps critical upgrade of Chicago’s natural gas delivery system on budget and on schedule
The Peoples Gas program to modernize Chicago’s antiquated natural gas delivery system made steady progress in the first quarter of 2022, keeping overall work on budget and on schedule.
Under the Safety Modernization Program, Peoples Gas is replacing corroding iron pipes — that date back as far as the 1800s — with
modern pipeline. The Program is on budget, as it has been since 2015 when the current owners of Peoples Gas started managing the company . The progress of work also is on schedule. Just
past ten years into a 30-year program, work is more than one-third complete.
- More than 20 miles of new gas main installed.
- Cost per mile installed across 15 city neighborhoods is on budget.
- More than 2,500 gas meters moved from inside homes to outside.
Highlights from 2022’s first quarter include:
- Cragin — Peoples Gas worked closely with 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas and the principal of Lloyd Elementary School to minimize the inconvenience of construction in the Cragin neighborhood. Thoughtful planning resulted in a process of threading new hightech
plastic gas main through an outdated cast iron main in order to greatly reduce the need for excavation.
Data from the first quarter of 2022 has been reported to the Illinois Commerce Com - mission as part of the commission’ s extensive
oversight of the Safety Modernization Program.
Key first quarter metrics include:
- Neighborhood Risk Ranking — The program’s Neighborhood Risk Ranking was up - dated in the first quarter based on new system
data. The risk ranking is designed to ensure neighborhoods where old gas mains are nearest to the very end of their useful lives receive modernization as quickly as possible.
Safety Modernization Program
An independent engineering study ordered by the State of Illinois found more than 80% of the iron natural gas pipes beneath Chicago’ s streets have an average remaining life of less than 15 years. Many of the pipes are from the 1800s.
The Safety Modernization Program is a mandatory safety initiative. It also is crucial for the reliable delivery of energy to keep Chicagoans warm, to replace pipes that harm the environment by leaking methane, and to position Chicago for a clean energy future where renewable natural gas and hydrogen may someday heat our homes and fuel the economy .
Peoples Gas plans to modernize the natural gas delivery system in every Chicago neighborhood. In 2022, work is planned for 15 neighborhoods and 75 individual work sites. Projects will begin in two new neighborhoods: Rosemoor and Irving Woods.
