Press Releases and Statements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Emily Wong

Phone: (202) 464-2742

Email: ewong@apga.org

APGA Applauds Introduction of Bill Protecting Customers from Weather-Related Gas Price Spikes

Washington, D.C. (October 27, 2021) – The American Public Gas Association (APGA), representing more than 700 municipally owned natural gas systems in 38 states, issued the following statement in response to Rep. Joaquin Castro’s (D-TX) introduction of the Gas Consumer Emergency Market Protection Act, which would help address the impact of Winter Storm Uri and prevent similarly high prices for consumers during future extreme weather events.

“APGA applauds Congressman Castro for introducing legislation to address the devastating impact of Winter Storm Uri on natural gas consumers across the United States, especially in Texas, the Southeast and the Midwest. During the storm, prices spiked as much as 300 percent — forcing even the smallest municipal utilities to shoulder millions of dollars in added costs in an effort to ensure their customers could maintain heat for their homes amid extreme cold weather.

If enacted, Congressman Castro’s bill would provide lawmakers with more information about what happened to the natural gas market during Winter Storm Uri in order to learn from this experience and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. The bill also offers meaningful solutions to protect consumers and ensure access to energy that is both reliable and affordable during extreme weather events.  

The utility companies and communities most impacted by natural gas price spikes during Winter Storm Uri will struggle to cover these staggering costs for years to come. The federal response to date has been inadequate and has failed to take steps to prevent these types of market crises from occurring again. APGA urges other members of Congress to join Congressman Castro in working to investigate the high costs that have burdened local utilities, communities and consumers in the wake of Winter Storm Uri and to prevent future energy market crises.”