For Release: 01/10/2014

Polar Vortex Provides Test of MGU Distribution System

Monroe, MI - When the temperatures started falling last Sunday and the wind picked up, Michigan Gas Utilities (MGU) felt confident that its natural gas distribution system, which serves 12-counties in the south central part of the state, would hold up well. It did.

Over the past several years, MGU has been making system upgrades and enhancements. The decisions paid off this past week. "Those system enhancements have strategically helped MGU in some key areas in recent years and we're proud of that. This past week confirms that the company made the correct engineering decisions and is operating with the correct size pipe and pressure," said Paul Livernois, Community Relations Manager for MGU.

Livernois noted that some areas in the state experienced outages due to natural gas pressure drops. MGU did not. "We're proud of not losing gas pressure to one single gas customer during the earlier part of this bitter week," he said.

The company had field personnel strategically located in each area monitoring pressures and heaters going full tilt at our gate stations warming the gas prior to sending into the communities it serves.

Livernois said that the last time the MGU distribution system experienced similar stress was back in 1996. "That year, we had to call some of our large volume customers asking for their cooperation to reduce natural gas load in manufacturing so that we could ensure service to all of our customers," said Livernois. "This year due to a combination of our system improvements and the fact that many schools were closed and some companies were still shut down from the holidays meant that those calls were not necessary."

MGU field employees should also be commended said Livernois. "Hats off to our employees, who worked in those 15-below-zero temperatures keeping each of us warm. They are rightfully proud there were no outages and all of our customers are accounted for," Livernois smiled.

  • PJ Livernois
    Manager- External Affairs
    734 457-6123
  • Media Hotline
    800-977-2250
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