Kinder Morgan, a proud board member of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, is one of North America’s largest energy infrastructure companies. We own or operate approximately 79,000 miles of pipelines, over 700 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working natural gas storage capacity, and RNG generation capacity of approximately 6.9 Bcf per year of gross production. Our mission is simple and steadfast: Provide energy transportation and storage services in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner for the benefit of people, communities, and businesses.
Pursuing this mission means constantly adapting to evolving energy markets. But we remain confident that the most effective approach to meet these markets’ needs will be through an all-of-the-above energy mix. That’s why we maintain a diverse asset portfolio of essential energy services, represented by four distinct business segments, designed to sustain existing sources while exploring new ones. Illinois will play an important role in this effort.
First, we operate the largest U.S. natural gas transmission network, including 66,000 miles of natural gas pipelines moving approximately 40% of U.S. natural gas production. This includes our Natural Gas Pipeline of America (NGPL) system, one of the largest interstate pipeline systems in the country. This system, which is jointly owned by Kinder Morgan and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P., supplies approximately 60% of the Chicago area’s annual natural gas needs. As power demand rises, we continue to invest in modifications and upgrades of the NGPL system. Our proposed $410 million North Extension project, which includes construction of a 15-mile-long pipeline between Illinois and Wisconsin, is just one example of a project designed to meet that incremental demand.
In addition to being a major natural gas transporter, Kinder Morgan is also the largest U.S. independent refined products transporter and terminal operator. We transport approximately 1.7 million barrels per day of refined product volumes and provide total liquids storage capacity for another 135 million barrels. Together, our Products and Terminals segments make us the largest handler of ethanol in the U.S., handling approximately one-third of total U.S. ethanol production. Our Argo Terminal in Illinois serves as the nation’s ethanol clearinghouse and trading hub. Combined with our O’Hare Terminal, they serve as the primary sources of jet fuel for Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.
Our last business segment is our CO2 business, which includes our enhanced oil recovery business, in which carbon dioxide is injected into mature oil wells to produce additional oil.
This stable line of work also builds expertise for future carbon capture and sequestration opportunities.
Within our CO₂ segment is also our growing energy transition business, where we explore opportunities to participate in the evolving energy landscape. Recently, we’ve focused on renewable natural gas (RNG), capturing biogas from landfills and wastewater treatment facilities, then cleaning and processing it until it’s molecularly equivalent to conventional natural gas. We operate RNG facilities throughout the Midwest. Looking ahead, we are a well-positioned and critical player in America’s evolving energy landscape. By strengthening natural gas infrastructure and enabling renewable fuels, biofuels, and biofuel feedstocks, our company supports reliability today while paving the way for lower-carbon solutions tomorrow. For our Illinois Chamber of Commerce network – which depends on reliable energy to fuel growth across industries – we are proud to partner in this shared commitment of advancing a sustainable and prosperous future.