On May 28, energy industry leaders, regulators, emergency preparedness professionals, and system operators from across the region gathered in Providence, Rhode Island for the American Gas Association's Northeast Natural Gas Readiness Forum.

The Northeast Gas Association was proud to support this important event, which focused on natural gas system preparedness, gas-electric coordination, and regional readiness for severe weather and high-demand energy events. NGA worked closely with AGA and regional partners to help develop the agenda, supported the regional tabletop exercise, and participated in key discussions throughout the day.

The Natural Gas Readiness Forum program was established following recommendations from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Gas & Electric Alignment for Reliability (GEAR) Task Force and is designed to strengthen operational awareness, emergency preparedness, and coordination across the natural gas and electric sectors. The regional forums bring together utilities, pipeline operators, electric system operators, regulators, emergency management officials, and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the energy system.

The Providence forum featured opening remarks from Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission Chairman Ronald Gerwatowski and a regional weather outlook from Matthew Doody of NOAA. Attendees also heard updates on regional electric system conditions from Mike Knowland of ISO New England and a natural gas outlook from Andrew MacBride of National Grid.

NGA was especially pleased to see several member companies represented among the event's speakers. Christopher Stutz of Iroquois Pipeline and Michele Leone of Rhode Island Energy joined NGA Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Policy Alana Daly for a discussion on northeastern coordination initiatives and the collaborative efforts underway to strengthen regional preparedness and communication.

During her remarks, Daly highlighted the work of NGA's Gas Supply Task Force, which brings together local distribution companies, interstate pipelines, electric sector representatives, and other stakeholders to improve situational awareness and coordination during periods of system stress. The Task Force has become an important forum for discussing winter reliability, operational challenges, and emerging issues affecting the region's energy infrastructure.

The event concluded with a regional tabletop emergency exercise that allowed participants to work through a realistic energy reliability scenario and explore how organizations across the natural gas and electric sectors would coordinate during a significant event. The exercise highlighted how infrastructure constraints in the Northeast create significant reliability challenges for our region. Exercises such as these help strengthen relationships, improve communication pathways, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement before real-world emergencies occur.

As the Northeast continues to face growing energy demands and increasing interdependence between the natural gas and electric systems, forums like this play a critical role in ensuring the region remains prepared.

NGA thanks the American Gas Association for its leadership in organizing this important event and appreciates the participation of all attendees who contributed their expertise and perspectives. Through collaboration, planning, and continued coordination, the industry is helping ensure reliable and resilient energy service for customers throughout the Northeast.