American Gas - July 2013 - (Page 2)

Filling the industry’s talent gap will help ensure the vitality of the American workforce and solidify the legacy of this transformation in American energy By Dave MccurDy president’s Message REAcHIng THE wORKERS OF TOMORROw A GA member companies invest in infrastructure that is built to last more than 100 years. We envision a future where natural gas not only provides energy for homes and businesses, but runs a significant number of our vehicles, generates power, and supports other forms of renewable energy. America’s natural gas utilities are upgrading and maintaining the network that will safely and reliably deliver the foundation fuel for this clean and secure energy future. Our cover story this month focuses on the efforts being made to continue developing a skilled workforce capable of maintaining the 21st-century technology that transports and utilizes this clean energy source. AGA is proud to work with the Center for Energy Workforce Development and its executive director, Ann Randazzo, who is profiled in these pages. CEWD is a partnership between utilities, associations, contractors, and unions that studies the industry’s employment issues through regular surveys and analysis and takes a hands-on approach in helping to reach the workers of tomorrow. Their research shows that we will need to fill more than 100,000 positions at utilities nationwide by 2020 due to retirement or people leaving the workforce for other reasons. Thanks to Ann and the folks at CEWD, our industry has been aware of this issue and has plans in place to address this talent gap. The AGA Scholarship program that was created with a portion of the proceeds from the 17th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG 17) will provide $1 million to students interested in pursuing a career in the natural gas industry to help ensure the continued vitality of the American workforce and solidify the legacy of this transformation in American energy. Through our relationships with these colleges and universi- 2 AmericAn GAs july 2013 ties, we have learned that the message about the bright future in the natural gas industry is being received loud and clear. West Virginia University’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Department told us that a few years ago they had 50 students enrolled in the program, and today they have 250. At Bismarck State College in North Dakota, the job market is so plentiful some students are leaving the program before graduation. While this is due to the incredible abundance in the Marcellus Shale that extends into West Virginia and the Bakken Formation in North Dakota, 32 states are now producing or have produced natural gas. IHS Global Insight projects that unconventional gas development in the United States will support nearly 1.5 million jobs in 2015, and more than 2.4 million jobs in 2035. Natural gas is the bright spot in our economy today, and it is addressing some of our nation’s most pressing needs—boosting our economy through everyday savings and job creation, improving our environment, and increasing our energy security. Increased investment in advanced natural gas technologies such as transportation applications and smart energy grid technology will yield greater efficiency, greater savings, and accelerate these benefits. The strategic vision of the natural gas industry is helping to move this nation forward. America’s natural gas utilities deliver essential energy today and develop the strategy for the advanced use of our abundant natural resources for a better tomorrow.u President and ceO, dmccurdy@aga.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - July 2013

American Gas - July 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Subject Index
Shining a Light for Gas Efficiency
Digest
Issues
Issues
Update
Need to Know
By the Numbers
Places
Scratch, Sniff—Evacuate?
Capitol Hill
Cape Canaveral
The Corner Office
AGA Ops Conference
Elm Street
Work in Progress
Profile
For Good Measure
Law
Jobs
Marketplace
Buyer’s Guide
Headway

American Gas - July 2013