' methane emissions report shows trend of year-over-year decline in emissions during last 15 years

AGL Resources Inc has added a news release to its website.

ATLANTA - Dec.15, 2015 - AGL Resources today released the findings of its 2014 methane emissions inventory, which shows a 29 percent reduction in emissions year-over-year the past 15 years.  Industry data shows a
22 percent decline over that period, even as the amount of industry sector pipelines grew by about 30 percent over the same time.

Emissions reductions are the result of the company's efforts beginning in the early 1990s, centered on its investments in system safety and reliability, which also reduce emissions; its development of corporate sustainability programs; and its founding participation in EPA's Gas STAR program.  The Gas STAR program encourages industry companies to implement methane emissions-reducing technologies and practices and to document their voluntary emission reduction activities.

"The gas utility sector's 22 percent reduction in methane emissions since 1990 is significant in the context of adding more than 600,000 miles, or 30 percent, of pipeline during that same period," said John Somerhalder, chairman and CEO of AGL Resources. "Strong leadership at the state level and among natural gas utility leadership has made that possible," he added. 

"Beginning in 1998, with the support of state regulators approving and overseeing our plans, AGL Resources pioneered an aggressive program of bare steel/cast iron pipeline replacement that is now operating in five states," said Somerhalder. "Our program has been focused primarily on safety and system modernization, priorities that highly benefit our customers and the communities we serve. Those efforts, in addition to our participation in Gas STAR beginning in 1993 and emissions savings from our landfill gas plant built in 2011, have resulted in a 29 percent reduction in emissions, placing us at the forefront of the industry."

The following are highlights of the report:

• Removal of 2.2 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions since 1998 due to aging pipe replacement
• Capital spending totaling $1.7 billion since 1998 in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia on pipeline replacement and repairs
• Replacement of 4,300 miles of bare steel and cast iron pipe since 1998, including 100 percent of such pipeline in Georgia
• Ranking as the top company by the American Gas Association as a best practice example for replacing more miles of pipe than any company in the eastern U.S.

The company also plans, subject to regulatory approval, to replace all remaining bare steel and cast iron pipes throughout its natural gas pipeline system by 2025.

Information in the report is based on the company's collection of its own year-end 2014 data, including methane emissions from business units engaged in natural gas distribution, storage compression, liquefied natural gas storage and transmission compression.

To review the report in its entirety, please click here.

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About AGL Resources
AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in natural gas distribution, retail operations, wholesale services and midstream operations. AGL Resources serves approximately 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries in seven states. The company also serves more than one million retail customers through its SouthStar Energy Services joint venture and Pivotal Home Solutions, which market natural gas and related home services. Other non-utility businesses include asset management for natural gas wholesale customers through Sequent Energy Management and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. AGL Resources is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.

Investor Relations Contact:               
Sarah Stashak
Director, Investor Relations
Office: 404-584-4577
Cell: 404-895-7634
sstashak@aglresources.com

Media Relations Contact:
Kristie Swink Benson, APR
Director, PR & Media Relations
Office: 404-584-3167
Cell: 404-387-8067
kbenson@aglresources.com