GRCA Commerce Quarterly Fall 2021 - 10

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UGI Utilities, Inc.
Innovating for the future
UGI is helping businesses and homeowners take advantage of the
economic and environmental benefits of natural gas, Pennsylvania's
clean, plentiful and local natural resource.
The discovery of Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania
has made the Commonwealth an energy powerhouse. With much
of its service territory within the area of these reserves, UGI and
its customers are uniquely positioned to benefit from this supply.
UGI assists companies to make innovative use of these resources. In
addition to using natural gas for heating, water heating, cooking and
traditional commercial and industrial applications, new technologies
include Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Renewable Natural Gas
(RNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles.
CHP is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat from
a single fuel source. CHP is a system that uses " waste " heat from the
generation process to provide building heating. CHP technologies
increase the energy efficiency of power generation up to 80 percent.
CHP applications have been installed in industrial parks, college
campuses and military bases, among others.
Significant strides have advanced the efficient production of RNG.
RNG, a biogas derived from the decomposition of organic materials,
is a low- or zero-carbon fuel. The benefits of RNG include improved
waste management practices, local investment and job creation, and
enhanced air and water quality. Interchangeable with conventional
natural gas, RNG is delivered to homes and businesses utilizing
existing UGI natural gas infrastructure. UGI expects to complete
an interconnection with Keystone Landfill, Lackawanna County, in
just a few months. That RNG supply, the largest in North America
to date, will represent a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal
to removing 67,000 passenger vehicles from the road annually.
Another example of innovative use of natural gas is the use of
CNG as a vehicle fuel. CNG burns more cleanly than gasoline or
diesel fuel. Natural gas vehicles are a game-changing sustainability
10 COMMERCE QUARTERLY FALL 2021
solution, reducing emissions by as much as 90 percent. CNG vehicles
also offer the additional benefit of reduced engine maintenance
requirements. CNG vehicles experience less engine wear and require
fewer oil changes.
Safety is a core value at UGI. Committed to providing safe
and reliable energy service, UGI is in the midst of a multi-year
infrastructure betterment initiative to replace all pipelines in its
system made of non-contemporary materials. To further enhance
this commitment, UGI recently opened a new Learning Center in
Bern Township, Berks County. The $37 million complex provides
real-life simulations and hands-on training for UGI field personnel
and contractors. UGI built the complex on land that it purchased
from the Greater Berks Development Fund (GBDF).
UGI is also deeply committed to the vitality of its communities.
UGI is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its partnership with
Reading Is Fundamental. Through the UGI-RIF program, UGI has
distributed over 1.5 million books to more than 500,000 first-grade
students in schools throughout the Company's service area. UGI
employees have provided more than 15,000 volunteer hours helping
children learn the joy of reading.
In addition, UGI and its employees provide both leadership and
financial support to United Way campaigns across the Commonwealth
each year and sponsors the Home Fire Preparedness Program of the
American Red Cross. Notably, UGI employees provide thousands
of hours of service each year for community organizations, fire
departments, churches and other organizations throughout the
Commonwealth.
These initiatives are just part of a long history of serving Pennsylvania's
energy needs.
UGI Utilities, Inc., headquartered in Denver, Pennsylvania, serves
approximately 730,000 customers in 45 Pennsylvania counties and
is one of the largest natural gas distribution utility companies in the
Commonwealth.
UGI. Helping to make Pennsylvania better today and stronger
tomorrow.
- Becky Eshbach, Senior Director -
Marketing & Community Relations
GRCA Commerce Quarterly Fall 2021

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