WGL Holdings, Inc., is a public utility holding company that serves more than 1 million customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.[1] A subsidiary of AltaGas, it provides natural gas, electricity, sustainable energy, carbon neutrality and energy services, and also is engaged in natural gas exploration, production, and storage. The company operates four divisions: Washington Gas, WGL Energy, WGL Midstream, and Hampshire Gas.
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Utilities |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Areas served | District of Columbia Maryland Virginia |
Key people | Donald "Blue" Jenkins (President & CEO) |
| Products | Gas Utilities |
Number of employees | 1,444 |
| Parent | AltaGas |
| Subsidiaries | Washington Gas WGL Energy WGL Midstream Hampshire Gas |
| Website | www washingtongas |
The company dates to 1848. Today, 19th-century traces of the company include the Civil War-era aqueduct across Rock Creek Park between Georgetown and Foggy Bottom and the gas and electric street lamps installed nearby.
History
editCompany formation
editTwo petitions were sent to Congress in April 1848, and on July 8 of that year, lawmakers issued the first Congressional charter for a company that would extract gas from coal.[citation needed] The nation's capital had its first gas company, the Washington Gas Light Company.[2] The company was established on the tenth street of the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, and eventually led to the area's urbanization.[citation needed]
1850-1900
editGeorge Washington Riggs became the president of the company in 1856. Two years later, the company began to build a new, more efficient factory, the West Station Works, between 26th and G Streets NW.
Meanwhile, a new plant was constructed in Foggy Bottom in 1858 at the intersection of New Hampshire and Virginia avenues NW. This location, at the head of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, gave it access to barges carrying coal from West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
During the American Civil War, coal and transportation grew scarce. "The cost of making gas increased one hundred and twenty-five percent, and another problem appeared when Congress reduced the gas rate seventeen percent."[3] The company sought help from the Secretary of War and from President Abraham Lincoln, who he wrote to John W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, asking him to "bring coal to the city and afford the continuation of the necessary gas lighting."[4] Production levels for gas went down during the Civil War, they soon returned to normal.
In the 1870s, several large holding tanks (gasometers) were erected at the Foggy Bottom site.
In 1891, one of the gasometers exploded; the cause was attributed to a large storm.[5]
20th century
editThe Foggy Bottom plant operated until the 1950s. In 1964, the Washington Gas Light Company sold development rights for the location in a deal that stipulated that the new structure would be supplied exclusively by the company.[6] The site became home to the Watergate Complex, and the last building on the site was completed in 1971.[7]
In 1997, in response to newly deregulated gas and energy markets, Washington Gas formed Washington Gas Resources Corp to serve as a holding company for non-utility subsidiaries. Also in 1997, the company created an unregulated energy company, Washington Gas Energy Services, as a subsidiary of that holding company.[8]
2000s
editIn 2014, the company rebranded itself as WGL, aiming to project the image of "a new kind of energy company: answer-oriented, technology and data driven, responsive and built for the complex energy markets of today and tomorrow".[9]
On July 6, 2018, the company was acquired by AltaGas.[10] After the deal was closed, CEO and Chairman Terry McCallister retired from WGL and COO Adrian Chapman took the position.[11] The AltaGas/Washington Gas merger agreement approved by the DC Public Service Commission required the company to develop a plan to comply with DC's commitment of carbon neutrality. On March 16, 2020, Washington Gas released its "Climate Business Plan," which called for the continued combustion of fossil fuels while adding limited non-fossil fuel gases that also pollute the climate. In filings before the DC Public Service Commission, the DC Department of Energy and Environment and the DC Office of Attorney General said the plan is "incompatible with the District's climate policy."[12]
In 2022, Washington Gas lobbied the DC Council to significantly weaken legislation to transition DC buildings from gas to clean energy, but the utility's effort was not successful.[13] The Washington City paper reported that in 2024, Washington Gas hired multiple lobbyists who used deceptive tactics to seek to kill the Healthy Homes Act, legislation that would help low-income residents switch from carcinogen-leaking fossil fuel appliances to cleaner electric alternatives. Despite the gas utility's effort, the Healthy Homes Act passed the DC Council unanimously.[14]
Company performance
editOn January 18, 2024 a building on Marion Barry Avenue SE exploded due to a leak on a Washington Gas line. A disaster was narrowly averted as a daycare was evacuated minutes before its building was leveled. [15] One person suffered non-fatal injuries from the flying debris. The cause of the leak was unknown but may have been caused by a car hitting a gas line. [16]
References
edit- ^ Plunkett, Jack W. (2005). Plunkett's Energy Industry Almanac, 2006: The Only Comprehensive Guide to the Energy & Utlities Industry. Plunkett Research, Ltd. ISBN 9781593920364.
- ^ Townsend, George Alfred (1874). New Washington, or, The Renovated Capital City. Washington DC: Chronicle Pub.
- ^ Hershman, Robert (1948). Growing with Washington. Washington: Washington Gas Light Company. p. 46.
- ^ Hershman, Robert (1948). Growing with Washington. Washington DC: Washington Gas Light Company. p. 47.
- ^ "DEATH IN THE TORNADO: Fatal Collapse of the New Metzerott Music Hall". Washington Post. November 24, 1891.
- ^ "Watergate, Gas Co. Sign Unusual Pact". Washington Post. September 9, 1964.
- ^ "The Watergate: The Building That Changed Washington | Washingtonian (DC)". Washingtonian. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
- ^ Pietropaoli, Edward (2012). Growing with Washington, Part II. Washington, Washington Gas. p. 85
- ^ "2014 Corporate Performance Report". WGL. 2014.
- ^ "AltaGas Ltd. Announces Closing of its Acquisition of WGL Holdings, Inc" (Press release). AltaGas. July 6, 2018.
- ^ "WGL Holdings names new CEO, executive payouts after AltaGas deal closes". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ Rodeffer, Mark (July 29, 2020). "DC has committed to stop burning fossil fuels by 2050. Washington Gas has another plan". Greater Greater Washington.
- ^ Koma, Alex (2023-01-26). "Washington Gas Lobbyists Tried to Neuter Major Clean Energy Bill". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ Koma, Alex (2024-01-17). "Washington Gas Deploys a Mess of Lobbyists to Kill Legislation Promoting Electric Appliances". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
- ^ Spencer, Darcy (January 19, 2024). "Explosion levels building in Southeast DC; 16 children in day care next door evacuated in time". Washington, DC. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ Encinas, Amaris (January 19, 2024). "Video shows explosion in Washington as gas leak destroys building, leaves 1 injured". USA TOday. Washington, DC. Retrieved January 19, 2024.