MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for North America in recognition of the company's sustainable business practices and performance. Of the 140 companies that achieved listing on this year's North America Index, NiSource is one of only two U.S. natural gas distribution companies to make the list.
"We continue to make significant advancements toward our enterprise-wide sustainability goals, and being named to the DJSI is another demonstration of this progress," said NiSource President and Chief Executive Officer Robert C. Skaggs Jr. "Our balanced business strategy has a strong foundation in sustainability, and we believe a deepening of our focus is essential to building the premier company in our industry. It will drive continued innovation, improvement and engagement across our organization and with all of our stakeholders."
Transparent Sustainability Reporting
NiSource issues an annual Sustainability Report that tracks the company's progress toward building a tradition of steady growth, customer-focused solutions, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. The 2011 report provided an in-depth review of the sustainability efforts across NiSource and its subsidiary companies. Performance highlights from the 2011 Sustainability Report included:
- Delivering shareholder value: NiSource delivered a total shareholder return of 40 percent in 2011, leading the Dow Jones Utility Index.
- Investing for our customers: NiSource invested $1.13 billion in capital expenditures, with the majority of that investment dedicated to enhancing and modernizing our energy infrastructure to better serve our customers.
- Creating jobs, community development: NiSource infrastructure investments have created more than 100 new positions at NiSource and hundreds of local construction jobs, including pipefitters, welders, heavy equipment operators and other contractors.
- Improving the environment: NiSource's investment in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment at the company's coal-fired electric generating facilities will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 95 percent. When completed in 2018, NiSource's generation fleet will be fully 'scrubbed' with the latest technology available to reduce sulfur dioxide, one of the industry's most significant air emissions.
- Continuous improvement and goal setting: An employee-led Sustainability Council, created in early 2011, has worked together to create a common understanding of sustainability across the company. The council is finalizing a strategy with defined goals, objectives and performance indicators that will be incorporated into NiSource's business-planning processes.
The full 2011 Sustainability Report and related materials are available at http://www.nisource.com/sustainability.
Launched in 1999, the DJSI tracks the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies. DJSI reviews companies on several general and industry-specific topics related to economic, environmental and social dimensions, including corporate governance, environmental policy, climate strategy, human capital development and labor practices.
The index is compiled annually by Dow Jones and the Sustainable Asset Management Group. More information about the DJSI is available at http://www.sustainability-index.com/.
About NiSource
NiSource Inc., based in Merrillville, Ind., is a Fortune 500 company engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution. NiSource operating companies deliver energy to 3.8 million customers located within the high-demand energy corridor stretching from the Gulf Coast through the Midwest to New England. Information about NiSource and its subsidiaries is available via the Internet at www.nisource.com. NI-F
About the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
The DJSI are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. The DJSI enable investors to integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios while providing an effective engagement platform for encouraging companies to adopt sustainable best practices. Today, the index family has approximately USD 6 billion in assets under management in a variety of financial products including mutual funds, separate accounts, structured products and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Approximately 55 products are based on the indexes serving asset managers and banks in 15 countries.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements and expectations regarding future dividends, operating earnings growth, earnings per share growth, capital investments, financing needs and plans, and investment opportunities. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in these presentations include, among other things, weather; fluctuations in supply and demand for energy commodities; growth opportunities for NiSource's businesses; increased competition in deregulated energy markets; the success of regulatory and commercial initiatives; dealings with third parties over whom NiSource has no control; actual operating experience of NiSource's assets; the regulatory process; regulatory and legislative changes; changes in general economic, capital and commodity market conditions; and counter-party credit risk, and the matters set forth in the "Risk Factors" section in NiSource's 2011 Form 10-K (which section is incorporated herein by reference) and in conjunction with other SEC reports filed by NiSource, many of which are beyond the control of NiSource. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this presentation and that past performance may not be indicative of future performance. NiSource expressly disclaims a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release.
SOURCE NiSource
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