PG&E submits final Report on enhanced gas pipeline safety plan

SAN FRANCISCO— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) its final report on the company’s multi-year Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP).

This report details the hundreds of projects undertaken by PG&E to implement safety, operational reliability and environmentally-focused upgrades and enhancements to its natural gas transmission pipeline system.

The PSEP was formally submitted to the CPUC on August 26, 2011, with the goal of enhancing safety and improving operations of the gas transmission pipeline system, which now totals approximately 6,600 miles.

PG&E completed 585 projects that include installing automated valves, strength testing, replacing, upgrading, and in-line inspecting (ILI) its system. The last PSEP project became operational in November 2018.

“This final report outlines a number of important milestones in our commitment to gas safety, reliability, affordability and environmental stewardship. While we have completed the specified enhancements and upgrade projects as they relate to PSEP, our commitment to safety work is ongoing. We are continuously looking to identify new ways to make our extensive natural gas system the safest in the nation, because when it comes to safety, our work is never done,” said PG&E Gas Operations Senior Vice President Jesus Soto.

Upgrades to the gas transmission pipeline system under the PSEP project include:

• Completed 673.5 miles of strength testing.
• Replaced 114.9 miles of transmission pipe, downrating 12.0 miles to distribution system and retiring 9.1 miles of pipeline.
• Upgraded 202.4 miles of pipeline to accept ILI technology.
• Installed 217 automated valves.
• Completed the records collection and maximum allowable operating pressure validation of PG&E’s entire transmission pipeline system.
• Made material improvements in PG&E’s records processes and system and application tools.