American Gas - March 2014 - (Page 28)

infrastructure: legislators recognize the need to bolster the density and resilience of the pipeline network. the ayes have it Following is recent natural gas-related legislation, as well as bills still making their way through congress, that have garnered bipartisan support: better buildings act (hr 2126)-The bill's Tenant star program would allow commercial tenants to achieve energyefficiency ratings. bureau of land management streamlining act-expedites permitting of hydraulic fracturing on federal lands in the Bakken shale basin. expedited lng for american allies act (s 192)-Would open LnG exports to nATO members, Japan, and select other nations. home owner managing energy savings act (hr 2128)-Would offer homeowners rebates on home-energy retrofits, including investments in efficient natural gas. natural gas pipeline permitting reform act (hr 1900)-Would require the Federal energy regulatory commission to approve or deny pipeline permits within 12 months. omnibus appropriations bill-Provides $562 million for r&D in fossil-energy technology, including natural gas. protecting states' rights to promote american energy security act (hr 2728)-Would limit the executive branch's ability to impose duplicate restrictions on hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. utility energy service contracts improvement act (hr 3587)-Would extend contracts for utilities helping federal agencies with energy efficiency from 10 to 25 years. 28 AmericAn GAs march 2014 our domestic resources as well as reduce energy costs." eign oil to American natural gas," he said in his State of the Union Address. If You Build It Doing More with Less But the central consensus-builder just might be the development of natural gas infrastructure. Legislators at both the federal and state levels increasingly recognize the need to bolster the density and resilience of the pipeline network. As one example, the House passed the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act with bipartisan support. The bill intends to expedite the pipeline permitting process, though there is some doubt it will get through the Senate. But overall, Simpson remains optimistic. "Energy transportation infrastructure is something that we need to address and seems to have broad support," he said. "We need to make sure that we have adequate infrastructure to transport our resources so that we can keep costs low for producers and consumers." Congress likewise expects to achieve bipartisan support for LNG exports and related infrastructure. "I've led letters signed by members of both sides of the aisle calling for improving our permitting process for LNG exports," Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) told American Gas. "And the president himself in his State of the Union Address said he would work to streamline permits." Natural gas infrastructure now extends to transportation, another area of congressional agreement. "We're currently in a chicken-or-egg situation," Gardner noted. "No one will buy a natural gas vehicle if there are no fueling stations. And no one will install a fueling station if there are no natural gas vehicles. So there will be bipartisan support for infrastructure to support natural gas vehicles." Even the president has gotten behind NGVs. "Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from for- A sometimes-overlooked aspect of energy policy is efficiency, where natural gas has a central role to play. As does bipartisanship. "The area where there's significant potential to do good and to come together is energy efficiency," Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) told American Gas. "There are steps we're working on with our utilities, including natural gas utilities, as a partner." Welch is reaching across the aisle on a number of energy-efficiency initiatives. One is the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Act, which he's cosponsoring with Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.). The HOMES Act would offer homeowners rebates on home-energy retrofits, including investments in efficient natural gas. Another is the Better Buildings Act, also co-sponsored with McKinley. Central to the bill is the Tenant Star initiative, modeled on the DOE's and EPA's Energy Star program. The initiative would allow commercial-building tenants to earn a rating score based on their energy-efficiency achievements. "Fifty percent of a commercial building's energy efficiency depends on how the tenant fits up the building," Welch explained. A third initiative is the Utility Energy Service Contracts Improvement Act, cosponsored with Gardner. Under UESCs, gas, electric, and water utilities can negotiate 10-year contracts with federal agencies that specify energy savings to be realized by the agency's energy efficiency projects. The utilities are paid based on the savings achieved. Welch and Gardner want to extend the length of those contracts to 25 years. "We want to maximize the opportunities for utilities, including gas utilities, to help America save money," Welch said. In the Senate, Alexander, Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), and Sen. Brian Schatz

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American Gas - March 2014