On March 3, APGA submitted comments to the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) in response to a survey it issued as part of its Gas-Electric Harmonization (GEH) Forum. APGA staff also participated in a meeting of the GEH Forum, where it had the opportunity to address several points raised in the comment letter. The survey asked participants to note whether they support or oppose a wide range of proposals put forward by energy stakeholders since the Forum’s formation last year, as well as prioritize such proposals and identify which entities may lead each effort.
The current GEH Forum was created last year at the request of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). After Winter Storm Uri brought severe winter weather to much of the country, resulting in many natural gas supply and electricity disruptions, FERC developed a list of recommendations – including the development of such a forum – to help minimize impacts of any future severe weather.
In response to the survey, through comments, and at the meeting, APGA noted the role additional natural gas infrastructure would play in easing many GEH concerns. Additionally, APGA noted that any proposed solution should be a holistic one that does not simply better the electric industry by shifting burdens to the natural gas industry, and reaffirmed its opposition to any proposals that would abrogate or deprioritize existing natural gas supply contracts or force community-owned utilities and other market participants to change the way the plan for, purchase, and receive natural gas.
During the GEH Forum meeting, APGA also noted that while it was generally supportive of a number of proposals, the devil is in the details, and additional information is necessary to determine whether APGA could continue to offer such support.
A copy APGA’s comment letter and survey responses are available here.
For questions on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-802-0493 or by email at ssaulters@apga.org.