8003 Natural Gas Service Reliability and System Planning Standards - 5.0 Natural Gas Distribution System Planning and Modeling Program

5.1Each GDC shall have a robust system planning and modeling program based on natural gas industry best practices designed to review, on an annual basis or more often as needed, issues with the Natural Gas Distribution System affecting safety and Reliability to proactively plan for system improvements to be incorporated in the various plans (annual GDC capital plans and Infrastructure, Safety and Reliability Plans). Best practices that should be incorporated into system planning and modeling programs include:#

5.2Each GDC shall develop and maintain a comprehensive prioritization program for analyzing the Reliability performance of its Natural Gas Distribution System during the course of each year, which shall include methods to measure and improve worst performing areas of the gas distribution system. Areas of prioritization may include replacement of aging infrastructure (cast iron, bare steel, aldyla plastic) and should tie into system planning and modeling program efforts. Natural Gas Distribution System areas are to be determined by the GDC.#