The Source - Winter 2008 - (Page 40)

legislative outlook was asked to testify twice before the full Agriculture Committee and its Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management in the U.S. House of Representatives to role of speculation and the benefit of increased transparency. Laura Campbell, assistant manager of Energy Resources for Memphis Light, Gas, and Water testified on behalf of the APGA last May. Mike Comstock, current APGA chairman and acting director, City of Mesa, Arizona Gas System, testified for APGA in July. This summer APGA supported bills that increased transparency and authorized additional resources for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to police the market. The Senate debated The Stop Excessive Energy Speculation Act (S. 3268) and failed to invoke cloture to shut off debate on the bill by a vote of 50-43. The bill was not brought up again by the Senate. The House debated and passed the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act (H.R. 6604) by a vote of 283-133 on September 18. LIHEAP Congress allocated a record $5.1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that provides funding to disadvantaged families to heat and cool their homes. This is roughly a 56 percent increase over last year’s funding level. Current funding only allows the program to reach approximately 18 percent of the 30 million household eligible for assistance. APGA has pushed Congress for many years to provide LIHEAP with the $5.1 billion authorized for the program under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. SUPPLY While Congress could not reach agreement on comprehensive energy policy this year, it did take positive steps by lifting the ban on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas in certain areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Additionally, more areas were opened for exploration when at the last minute some lawmakers dropped their opposition to bans on drilling for shale resources in western states such as Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. APGA has long advocated that increased domestic supply is one fundamental component of long-term affordable natural gas. While lifting these bans is a good sign, drilling in these newly opened areas will not begin anytime soon. The next Administration must develop a new leasing plan that may or may not include this newly opened acreage. The current plan does not expire until 2012. Also, the next Congress and Administration could put a new ban in place next year as part of a deal on energy, environmental or other legislation. It is important that APGA members continue to educate their representatives on the importance of access to domestic natural gas supply with appropriate environmental protections in keeping prices affordable for consumers. Nate Hill is the director of government aﬀairs for APGA. 40 THE SOURCE | THE VOICE AND CHOICE OF PUBLIC GAS http://www.its-training.com/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Source - Winter 2008

The Source - Winter 2008 Contents First Person The Bridge to Renewable Energy Future Natural Gas: The Comfortable, Responsible Energy Solution Gas Hydrates: Poised for the Next Phase The Role of Natural Gas in a Carbon-Constrained World Natural Gas Prepays Taking the Leap to Natural Gas Vehicles The Pipeline Legislative Outlook Advertiser's Index Advertiser.com At Last

The Source - Winter 2008

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