It’s been a long journey for natural gas from when it was first used in ancient times to its commercial uses in modern industries. Today 24% of the energy used in United States is natural gas—and the state of Pennsylvania has played a huge part in this success.
Energy has long defined Pennsylvania, and the city of Pittsburgh in particular. However, Pittsburgh is no longer the coal-powered steel town it once was. And with the heyday of coal behind us, our region's production of natural gas has become an equally important energy source. In the 19th century, Titusville, PA became home to the first oil well. Not long after, Pittsburgh cemented its place on the energy map for building the first still that refined crude oil into kerosene. And in 1836, Philadelphia founded the first municipally-owned natural gas distributer in the country. Today, gas utility companies like Peoples, which was founded soon after in 1885, serve 60 million customers in the U.S. via underground pipelines—the technology that allows millions of people to use natural gas in their homes every day.
So, where do we fall in this whole natural gas system? As a distributor, we are primarily the middleman between natural gas producers and the consumer—you. Like a package is delivered to your home, our job is to deliver gas right to your door. To do this, we install a service line that runs from the main line into a meter, and then directly to appliances in your home. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, underground pipelines are consistently proven to be the safest way to transport fuel, and we see the proof of these words every day. We work hard to keep our system safe and efficient for our customers.
As our company continues to grow, we remain committed to making your life better. We’re now the largest natural gas distributer in Pennsylvania, serving 17 counties in Pennsylvania, 14 in West Virginia, and 10 in Kentucky—but our commitment extends well beyond those customers. Along with many other natural gas distributors, we are dedicated to exploring and supporting the creation of new technology that will help the environment. Even though natural gas is already one of the “cleanest, safest, and most useful” energy sources available, we are continuing to pursue ways of making our processes more efficient and helping others leverage new natural gas technology and decrease their carbon footprint, too.
From places like the Energy Innovation Center to Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus, a few of these cutting-edge natural gas technologies are already starting to gain steam, such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, microturbines, and fuel cells. CHP systems combine the production of heat and power into one system, operating at efficiency levels of 80% compared to the typical 45% of other power sources. Microturbines use liquid natural gas to power small electricity generators that can be used on their own or in combination with CHP systems. Fuel cells are perhaps unlike any other energy technology, combining oxygen and natural gas to produce electricity, heat, and water without any pollutants. At Peoples, we provide progressive programs for customers to help them take advantage of these technologies in their businesses in order to reduce energy waste.
We see these innovative natural gas technologies as stepping stones to other alternative, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Even though natural gas is often considered the cleanest and most environmentally friendly fuel, we want to continue to explore the best energy options for our customers and for the environment. We look forward to seeing how the natural gas industry further evolves to embrace these other power sources.