In addition to committed support from these customers, Guardian benefits from the support of political leaders, business organizations, energy industry participants and consumer organizations. Click here for a list of businesses, associations, consumer groups, labor unions, and government officials supporting the Guardian Pipeline project. Project benefits Guardian provides benefits by introducing a new competitive pipeline alternative into markets currently served by only one pipeline company. As a result, customers in the region will be able to reap the benefits of a competitive market. In addition to the benefits of being able to choose among competing pipelines for service, these benefits will also include customer choice among and access to unbundled, competitive providers of natural gas supply, transportation, storage and related services at or upstream of the Chicago Hub.
Competition can lead to reduced costs for natural gas customers.
Guardian will further benefit everyone in the region by providing capacity for additional supply to meet increasing demand. Demand for natural gas continues to increase in northern Illinois and Wisconsin. Electric demand also is increasing, requiring new sources of electric generation in Illinois and Wisconsin. Due to the environmental concerns with other fuels, projections are that this new generation will most likely be fueled by natural gas. In 1995 alone, use of natural gas for electricity generation in Wisconsin increased by 135 percent.