Like a heavy-weighted school project, providing the energy you need, when you need it takes vision, planning, collaboration, eliminating the old, and embracing the new.

For members of our Gas Construction team, it’s how we deliver on our commitment averaging 130 miles of natural gas pipeline upgrades annually for a safe and reliable system serving our communities.

Leveling the Groundwork

Every year we assess the health of our natural gas system and identify critically aging pipelines across the state. To improve service to homes and businesses and reduce the potential for gas leaks, we’re steadily modernizing our infrastructure.  In a picture-perfect world, our gas teams could wave a magic meter and upgrade thousands of miles of pipeline in a twirl. In the real world, system improvements take months to years to complete.

But before upgrades can begin everyone from designers, engineers, operations and community affairs managers work together to level set the scope of a project and communicate, to you, our neighbors, what’s being done in your area.

Keeping You Safe with Processes, Tools and Technology

From pre to post construction, standard processes and modern tools and technology are instrumental in improving our gas infrastructure while minimizing impact to neighbors.

Our teams use special tools like inspection cameras to locate sewers and other underground facilities in the project area before work begins.  This ensures facilities are kept safe throughout construction.

Traffic control measures are set up and communications are shared to bring awareness to impacted customers and municipalities, and keep everyone, including our crews, safe.

When it comes to getting the job done, we strive for efficiency. Core boring is the most effective method to visually inspect utilities in a road. By drilling a hole no bigger than a steering wheel, an underground opening is created for pipeline replacement. While this method is not feasible in all areas, it’s often used in communities where available as it leaves a small footprint in the road and minimal disruption to properties and your everyday activities.

After pipeline projects are complete, GIS and GPS technologies are used to accurately map the location of our equipment, making it easier for future crews to find utilities underground. Prior to these adoptions, crews would manually take measurements from a center line in the road. Imagine 20 years down the road (pun intended), more work is done and the gas main that delivers energy to your home or business is now in a different spot. GIS and GPS technologies allow for efficient system management, record-keeping and compliance.

Lastly, once crews have completed upgrading natural gas pipelines, our restoration team works closely with neighbors to return their property to its original state.

Saving Water, Sustaining Michigan

Did you know throughout pipeline upgrades, we recycle mud and water mixtures, reducing waste and  the constant need for fresh water during the drilling process? Gas construction uses a reclaimer to separate solid mud particles from water, reducing the use of clean water. We’ve saved up to 6 million gallons of water in a year, strengthening our commitment to protecting our planet and people by reducing the amount of waste discharged into the environment.

Teamwork Makes the Gas System More Reliable

On the first day of school, if a teacher stood in front of the class, you rarely wondered if they were fit to lead the course. You knew they had the educational background, experience and knowledge to teach the course at hand. The same goes for members of our Gas Construction team whether at the helm, in the field, or at our training facilities. Crew members are highly trained and qualified to perform the tasks necessary to build or steadily modernize our infrastructure.

Through collaborations across teams, peer-to-peer training, and partnerships with our unions, including onsite safety and compliance representatives, everyone plays a valuable role in maintaining a system that delivers reliable energy to homes and businesses today and for years to come.