Blogs

APGA Presents at April Carolinas Natural Gas Coalition Roundtable

By Stuart Saulters posted 04-06-2023 11:14 AM

  
On Monday, APGA staff presented at the Carolinas Natural Gas Coalition (CNGC) Member Roundtable.    This conversation allowed for engagement with North and South Carolina public gas utilities, some of which are APGA members, as well as investor-owned gas utilities and other natural gas value chain stakeholders. The presentation was timely, as the topic was, “Federal Policy Challenges and Opportunities for Natural Gas.”  APGA’s advocacy priorities for 2023 were highlighted.  Then, there was specific discussion on all that is happening on Capitol Hill with permitting reform, which will affect CNGC members. Several pipeline projects could benefit from legislation that appropriately balances infrastructure construction with environmental protection.

The group also talked about federal challenges to the direct use of gas.  Both the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have proposed troubling regulations that could significantly restrict the use of gas appliances. As well, President Biden is pushing for all federal buildings not to use natural gas onsite by 2030.  All of these actions could negatively impact CNGC members.

Lastly, APGA staff mentioned an opportunity for public gas utilities. This week, the recipients of the first year of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program were announced.

APGA staff believes it is valuable to represent members at these events and will continue to do so.  As well, the CNGC could be an ally in progressing the 2023 APGA advocacy priorities, so it is very important to maintain a healthy relationship with this coalition. To learn more about the CNGC, click here. 

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.

Permalink

https://www.apga.org/blogs/stuart-saulters/2023/04/06/apga-presents-at-april-carolinas-natural-gas-coali