BGC, CNG, SCG Significantly Strengthen 2023 Performance

Investments in service enhancements and reliability drive strong improvements in emergency response and violation reduction


 
ORANGE, Conn. — January 24, 2024 — Berkshire Gas Company (BGC), Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), subsidiaries of Avangrid (NYSE: AGR), today announced top-tier performance in Emergency Response, Damage Prevention, Leak-Prone Pipe Replacement, Clearing Leak Backlog, and Reduction of Violations in 2023. These marked improvements speak to the companies’ focus on safety, reliability, and customer service for residents and business-owners across their service territories.

“I’m extremely proud of our gas utilities performance this past year as they’ve focused on safety and reliability for our systems,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of BGC, CNG, SCG. “Our team members are extraordinarily dedicated to and take pride in their roles as they look for ways to drive results for our residential customers and businesses. To continue this momentum into 2024, we are looking to invest in our gas distribution system to continue providing the top-tier service and reliability our customers expect and deserve. I look forward to continuing to show our stakeholders how our Service Enhancement & Reliability Plans will allow us to upgrade our infrastructure, replace leak-prone pipes, and build capital projects in the year ahead.”

In 2023, the companies demonstrated exceptional operational performance across five pillars of success. For Emergency Response, the companies set the bar for others in the gas industry, with 88% of calls responded to in 30 minutes or less, a response rate in the top quartile for its sector. In the second pillar, Damage Prevention, SCG reduced its at-fault damage rates by 52% and CNG by 29%, the companies’ lowest damage rates in recent history. In the third pillar, Leak Prone Pipe Replacement, BGC more than doubled its annual target of replacing leak-prone pipes, based on its 20-year plan from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (MA DPU), and Avangrid as a whole replaced 120 miles of pipes to reduce fugitive emissions. In the fourth pillar, Clearing Leak Backlog, SCG and CNG achieved their lowest class-2 leak count in Avangrid’s history. The Connecticut gas companies closed the year with only 20 gas leaks, a 56% decrease over the last five years. In the final pillar, Reduction of Violations, the companies achieved a 56.3% reduction in violations compared to 2021.

"Our teams have done a tremendous job in improving our companies’ performance this past year," said Al Langland, Vice President of Engineering and Operations at BGC, CNG, and SCG. "Training has played a crucial role in our successes. Employees have been equipped with the necessary tools to manage risks, maintain safety, and protect themselves from on-the-job hazards. By investing in our employee's development, we've been able to drive business growth and customer satisfaction. Now, as we look to build on our achievements of 2023, we need to ensure we can build an effective plan with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to have the ability to provide top-tier service in our territories, which our customers expect and deserve."

In November 2023, CNG and SCG filed their Service Enhancement & Reliability Plans with the PURA. The plans, the first-rate filings for the companies since 2018 and 2017, respectively, will allow the companies to invest in critical infrastructure and their union workforces to improve reliability, resiliency, and customer service for Connecticut residences and businesses while addressing revenue deficiencies.

For more information the CNG and SCG rate filing visit the PURA website under Docket 23-11-02 or the CNG and SCG website: www.cngcorp.com/w/cng-scg-file-service-enhancement-reliability-plans.

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