The members of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America are committed to ensuring that natural gas flows safely and reliably to serve the vital energy needs of millions of homes and businesses. With increased attention on cyber and physical security, INGAA’s board of directors last week reaffirmed this commitment, unanimously approving INGAA Commitments to Pipeline Security. This document details specific actions that INGAA members take to ensure their pipeline infrastructure remains resilient and secure.
“Natural gas pipeline operators view safety and security as essential to fulfilling their role as the critical link between the nation’s natural gas producers and consumers,” said INGAA President and CEO Don Santa. “This move by the INGAA board of directors further solidifies our commitment to ensuring safety and security are ingrained in our collective culture.”
The new commitments, available here, outline security standards, guidelines and information-sharing resources used by the industry, including: 1) the Transportation Security Administration’s 2018 Pipeline Security Guidelines, 2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, and 3) information-sharing platforms, including the Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the INGAA Automated Threat Information Sharing Network Pilot Program. These actions help secure pipelines against cyber and physical security threats as well as natural disasters like hurricanes or floods.
INGAA’s commitments further detail the efforts the industry takes to identify threats, protect systems, detect security breaches and respond and recover to restore critical services in the event of a security incident.
The INGAA board vote comes just one week after TSA released its 2018 Pipeline Security Guidelines. These updated guidelines replace the earlier 2011 version and feature additional cybersecurity measures. The guidelines are available on the TSA website.
TSA notes that the updated guidelines are “a testament to the strong collaborative relationship TSA has with industry and government stakeholders to secure the nation's pipeline systems through voluntary security program implementation and robust industry engagement.”
INGAA’s members commit to following these guidelines as part of the new INGAA security commitments. INGAA commends TSA for its continued collaboration and dedication to working closely with industry to strengthen the security of this critical infrastructure.
INGAA is comprised of 27 members, representing the vast majority of the U.S. interstate natural gas transmission pipeline companies. INGAA’s members operate nearly 200,000 miles of pipelines.
INGAA’s 27 members are:
- Alliance Pipeline L.P.
- Boardwalk Pipeline Partners
- Cheniere Pipeline and Midstream
- Con Edison Transmission
- Dominion Energy
- DTE Gas Storage & Pipelines
- Enable Midstream Partners
- Enbridge
- EQT Corporation
- Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company
- Kinder Morgan
- Millennium Pipeline Company
- National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation
- National Grid
- NextEra Energy Resources
- ONEOK, Inc.
- Pacific Gas & Electric
- Piedmont Natural Gas
- Sempra Global Infrastructure
- Southern Company Gas
- Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline Inc.
- Tallgrass Energy
- Tellurian Inc.
- TransCanada Corporation
- UGI Energy Services
- WBI Energy
- Williams
