On July 11, APGA staff presented to the Mississippi Natural Gas Association (MNGA). Given APGA’s involvement in federal regulatory and legislative efforts, the group appreciated an update on what is happening in Washington, DC and how it impacts, good and bad, MNGA members. More importantly, there was discussion on how APGA can work with MNGA to ensure policy makers know Mississippians want access to efficient, affordable, and reliable energy. It was great to see many APGA members in attendance at this event.
APGA shared that with the elections in November a lot of the talk on Capitol Hill will be very partisan. Mostly, Senators and Representatives will be trying to make a case to re-elect them or elect members of their party to give them the majority in a particular chamber. This usually means they won’t take votes on legislation between now and Election Day on November 5.
There was also discussion about regulatory efforts from President Biden’s Administration, which are also likely to slow down for the rest of this year. Since the election is a few months away, the Administration is wary of finalizing regulations that could be overturned if there is a Republican President and Republican control of the Senate and House of Representatives.
The courts could be busy the rest of this year, though, and APGA staff shared an update on their efforts to challenge the Department of Energy’s (DOE) furnace rule.
In closing, APGA shared how members of MNGA can inform policymakers of the negative impacts of certain regulations and legislation. Opportunities are available to comment, just like there are for APGA, on burdensome regulation. As well, lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to hear from MNGA members, so having meetings in DC or in the state was encouraged. The Mississippi Attorney General (AG) has engaged on challenges to DOE appliance efficiency rulemakings, including most recently opposing the cooking products direct final rule. APGA encouraged MNGA to continue to appropriately support the AG’s office in holding the federal government accountable.
APGA staff believes it is valuable to be a part of these types of events and will continue to do so. If you are interested in having APGA staff present, please contact staff. To learn more about MNGA, click here.
If you have any question on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA’s staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at ssaulters@apga.org.