Working gas available is hardly 49% of the current 308.8 billion cubic feet total storage reported by Consumers Energy, or only 150.9 billion cubic feet.
From all companies in Michigan available working gas in storage is only 671 billion cubic feet, not the much-vaunted 1.1 trillion cubic feet. Still, Michigan has more capacity than any other state. Its stored working gas would supply the needs of 4.3 million average households for one year before needing to be restocked, or about 11 million people for one year. Michigan's population is 10 million. Business users are not included in this math.
But when a mere compressor fire nearly incapacitates one utility's ability to service all of its 2 million customers when they need heat the most, think what an Electro Magnetic Pulse event might do.
That's what keeps me up at night.
The Michigan Public Service Commission clearly states in footnote one to "Michigan Natural Gas Storage Field Summary":
Working gas means the maximum gas that can be cycled in and out of straoge [sic, read "storage"]. Base Gas means gas that is not cycled in and provides pressure support.
