Connect Fall 2016 | Page 7

teams work very hard to build genuine relationships with local stakeholders and we ’ re investing resources to make sure our supporters ’ voices are heard by decision makers .
We ’ re also working to find win-win partnerships and have a great example in our Dalton project in Georgia , where despite quite a bit of pushback from the Sierra Club , we were able to work with both the state and the U . S . Fish & Wildlife Service . They had a concern about a bat species there that our route was going to impact . And we said , ‘ Isn ’ t there something we can do that ’ s better for the species than simply a reroute ?’
We worked with Georgia State University to develop an aerosol to eliminate a fungus that has become a real threat to the species . And it will do a lot more good for the species than us spending millions of dollars rerouting the pipeline . So I ’ m really proud of the way our teams are dealing with some of these issues and we ’ re really starting to see some of those points of success .
Residential customers may understand and accept the role of LDCs , but for the most part the residential customers lack the understanding of what goes on upstream from that point .
What is the one thing you ’ d like Williams ’ customers to know about us ?
I would like our customers to know how much we appreciate their business and value the relationships we have with them . We will never take our customers for granted and will continually work toward better service , greater efficiency and more flexibility . I ’ m honored that , even in a challenging year , we were awarded the Mastio Quality Award for Midstream Services . At the same time , I hope our customers are giving us feedback more than once a year — we want that feedback continuously , so that we can always improve what we do to earn and keep your trust . ■
How can customers help in this effort ?
I definitely think we need to continue educating the general public about the necessity of energy infrastructure in a way that ’ s not antagonistic or arrogant , but open and transparent . We need to be consistent and continue emphasizing the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas in particular . For example , I would like to see our LDC customers , who have a direct line of communication to end users , leverage that access to help advocate for midstream players , who don ’ t really have that direct connection .
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