WASHINGTON – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee announced a diverse group of natural gas producers, distributors,
utilities, environmental groups, regulators, consumers and exporters who will
share their perspectives on natural gas issues at a series of forums beginning this
week.
The committee is holding three public listening sessions
over the next two weeks to gather information from stakeholders with an
interest in ensuring federal policy evolves to take into account the new
supplies of natural gas that have become accessible in recent years. The
sessions will be held in a roundtable format to encourage open discussion and
allow flexibility to find areas of agreement.
Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski
(R-Alaska) have pledged to approach the forums without a predetermined outcome
or legislation in mind other than to maximize the economic and environmental
benefits of the nation’s natural gas reserves. The series builds on a hearing looking
at opportunities and challenges for natural gas that the committee held in
February.
NACS Vice President of Government Relations John Eichberger will
speak on behalf of the industry at the Infrastructure,
Transportation, Research and Innovation Forum on May 14 at 10:00 am (EDT),
which will explore what the next applications are for natural gas and how this
new demand will be met. Pipeline infrastructure and increased use of natural
gas in the transportation sector will be specific points of interest. The forum
will be webcast live on the committee's website,
and an archived video will be available shortly after the forum is complete.
“You don’t often see representatives from natural gas
drilling companies and chemical producers and conservation groups sit down at
the same table in a public forum, but that’s exactly what we’re doing with
these round tables,” Wyden said. “If we do this right, natural gas has the
potential to lift up our country’s economy and pave the way to a future that
has both more jobs and a cleaner environment with a smaller carbon footprint.
Senator Murkowski and I want to hear from the people who deal with these issues
every day about where there might be common ground on how to maximize the value
of this vital resource.”
“Technological advances have allowed us to access vast quantities
of natural gas not thought possible just a few years ago. This new energy
source is a game changer for the United States, providing an abundant,
affordable and clean source of energy to fuel our economy,” Murkowski said. “My
interest in holding these roundtables is to ensure that the federal government
is supporting, and not thwarting, responsible development of this resource, its
transport to market and consumers for power generation and home heating, and
its use in the manufacturing and transportation industries, as well as exports
to our friends and allies. I look forward to hearing from all of these
stakeholders about what’s working, what’s not, and what we can do better.”