Over the past two weeks, several Senate and House Committees held hearings on issues related to public natural gas utilities, so APGA staff engaged appropriately in support of our members. First, on March 10, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing on technologies to reduce emissions in the electric sector. Staff from APGA partners in the natural gas value chain, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), testified and detailed the importance of natural gas in pursuit of America’s clean energy future. Also, while not exactly related to the core mission of APGA members, it was important to highlight the role the public natural gas utility infrastructure and workforce that operate it can play in our country’s decarbonization goals. APGA worked to get a statement on the record to describe these aspects.
There was also a Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee hearing on March 11 on the reliability and resilience of the electric sector, with particular emphasis on the tragic events in Texas in February. APGA monitored this hearing and was pleased to see Senator Marshall (R-Kan.) raise awareness on the high natural gas pricing issue that many public utilities are contending with. Then, the ENR Committee held a March 16 hearing on transportation technologies. Not much was said on natural gas vehicles (NGVs) unfortunately. There was some mention of hydrogen, which will need pipeline infrastructure to deliver it. APGA did post to social media regarding this hearing.
Then, on March 17, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee had a hearing on low and zero emission vehicles. APGA had a statement submitted to the record on NGVs, especially considering the possibly negative emission capability of renewable natural gas (RNG) if used as the fuel source. In its submission to the T&I Committee, APGA highlighted facts from a report developed by NGVAmerica that details the potential RNG holds to have the lowest carbon intensity of any on-road vehicle fuel, including fully renewable electric. The study from NGVAmerica is available
here.
Finally, on March 18, the Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee held the first in what looks to be a series of hearings related to the recent introduction of their Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s Future Act or the CLEAN Future Act. The focus was on industrial emissions. One of the witnesses represented the Renewable Thermal Collective (RTC), and he highlighted their recently published report titled, Low-Carbon Renewable Thermal Technology Solutions: Policies to Support Development and Deployment. In the report, leading policies in Europe and the United States to advance low-carbon technologies, including RNG and hydrogen, are detailed to inform recommendations for federal policymakers.
Next week will continue to be busy with three more hearings by the E&C Committee, as well as another meeting of the ENR Committee, all on issues important to public natural gas utilities. APGA staff will monitor, engage appropriately, and update members.
For questions on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at
ssaulters@apga.org.