The Source - Winter 2008 - (Page 9)

first person Putting energy on the front burner We need to catch our breath before moving into 2009: In March, Bear Stearns is sold to JP Morgan Chase for pennies on the dollar; in June natural gas peaked over $13/mmBtu; in July oil closed near $150/barrel; summer closes with $4.00+ gasoline; Lehman Brothers disappears in September; and by late October, both natural gas and oil are selling for less than half of their summer highs. Whew! Out of this tumultuous year I believe at least one very positive and noteworthy result emerged— energy is now a front-burner issue. America must not squander this opportunity to achieve the twin goals of energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It cannot be said enough: Energy is the lifeblood of our economy. APGA and the locally elected and appointed officials of more than one thousand communities served by public gas utilities stand ready to work with Congress and the new administration to provide input on how best to accomplish these twin goals. In this edition, we look at how Going Green will again be a high priority for Congressional policymakers and, this time around, with active support from the new administration. Since it is the cleanest, safest, and most useful of all fossil fuels, natural gas will be a key component in any climate change plan. In order to reduce CO2 emissions from the energy sector, more natural gas will be needed to generate electricity, fuel vehicles, and provide more effective and efficient direct use for space and water heating in homes and businesses. Since natural gas is part of the solution, legislation must not penalize its greater use for its most efficient purposes. Greater reliance on natural gas creates a corresponding need for a greater supply. APGA’s mantra on this issue has been consistent for years: To the extent an additional natural gas demand is created by the policy goals, there needs to be an accompanying policy goal that achieves an identical increase in the amount of natural gas supply. Also in this edition, Arthur Johnson and Brenda Pierce talk about methane hydrates. Coal was king in the 19th century, oil in the 20th, and natural gas could be king in the 21st. Methane hydrates are the key to an abundant supply of natural gas that could serve as the final bridge from fossil fuels to renewables. The amount of carbon bound in gas hydrates is conservatively estimated to total twice the amount of carbon found in all known fossil fuels on Earth and represents well over a thousand years of current demand. Can you imagine the impact such an abundant, domestic, and clean natural gas supply resource would have on our economy and environment? Bringing these abundant hydrates to market sooner than later is just one of the necessary and appropriate, steps toward achieving the twin goals of energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks, President & CEO American Public Gas Association THE SOURCE | WINTER 2008 , VOL. 1, ISSUE 2 9

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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