CenterPoint Sent Out A Record Amount Of Natural Gas During Deep Freeze

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – CenterPoint Energy officials say the company broke a new natural gas send-out record earlier this week, when an arctic vortex hung over the Midwest causing air temperatures in Minnesota to fall down to 20 degrees below zero.

The company estimates it delivered 1.35 billion cubic feet (BCF) of natural gas on Monday. The previous record was set in January of 2012, when the company sent out 1.3 BCF of natural gas.

A CenterPoint spokesperson said 1 BCF of natural gas, if liquefied, is equivalent in quantity to 12 million gallons of milk. She added that more than that was delivered to Minnesotans on both Monday and Tuesday.

In an average year, CenterPoint says it sends out 160 BCF of natural gas. Last year, the company sent out 189.25 BCF.

(Above is an image of a 1 BCF liquefied natural gas storage tank, which the company keeps for backup during extreme cold.)