American Gas - April 2010 - (Page 2)

President’s Message energy secretary Chu: a stand-up guy secretary Chu’s remarks on natural gas drew an enthusiastic response at a recent aGa board meeting. Given aGa’s proximity to capitol Hill and DaviD N. Parker President and CeO dparker@aga.org the regulatory agencies that affect the natural gas utility business, it is not uncommon to have a visiting senator, representative or regulatory official address AGA members and staff at our headquarters. That said, it isn’t every day that we are visited by a nobel Prize winner, and one who also heads one of our most important regulatory agencies, the U.s. Department of energy (DOe). But such was the case in mid-February when secretary of energy steven chu, cowinner of the 1997 nobel Prize for Physics, addressed the AGA Board of Directors at our winter board meeting, and his remarks were punctuated by several rounds of enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation. As befits a nobel laureate, secretary chu is brilliant, and he made a thoughtful and detailed case that global climate change is real, that it must be addressed and that addressing it will necessitate that our country, and our industry, adapt to a carbon-constrained world. But what brought our members to their feet was his conviction that natural gas must play an ever greater role in meeting our nation’s economic, environmental and energy security goals. What is more, secretary chu shares our belief that the best use of natural gas is its direct use in America’s homes and businesses. As he pointed out, directly using natural gas to heat homes, to heat water, for cooking and for other end-use applications is more efficient, more cost effective and greener than converting gas to electricity to power the same enduse applications. in fact, secretary chu said that when he moved to Washington to start his new job, his house hunting included one condition: it had to be a natural gas home. To that end, he also told our board that he supports carbon and energy efficiency end-use appliance labeling based on the fullfuel-cycle measurement, a measurement that favors natural gas. Given that AGA has been making that case to DOe for years, that statement was music to our ears (and drew yet another round of applause). The secretary also noted the importance of adequate supplies of domestic natural gas, not just for environmental reasons, but for energy security reasons as well. Pointing to the contribution shale gas was making to our domestic portfolio, and the boundless future potential of methane hydrates, he clearly identified a solution to our age-old problem of relying on foreign oil imports from unstable or unfriendly parts of the globe—more domestic natural gas. Finally, he explained that DOe understands the importance of supporting research and development so that new technologies continue coming to market. Adapting to a carbon-constrained world means using the greenest forms of energy in the most efficient ways possible. in short, secretary chu gets it. He understands our country’s short-term energy priorities, but he also understands the need for a long-term strategic vision. He is the kind of leader that AGA is happy to work with, and we pledged to him our willingness—our eagerness—to do just that. april 2010 AmericAn GAs

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - April 2010

American Gas - April 2010
Contents
President’s Message Energy Secretary Chu: A Stand-up Guy
Industry News
Safety First PHMSA Publishes Final CRM Rule
Tech Talk Talking Technology
Full Speed Ahead
NGVs: A View from the Motor City
The Secret to Customer Satisfaction
If the Founding Fathers Operated a Natural Gas Utility…
Places to Be
Marketplace
Advertisers’ Index
Noteworthies
Jobline
Facts on Gas

American Gas - April 2010