32 GROUPS TO PRESENT NATURAL GAS PROPOSALS AT SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE'S BIPARTISAN GAS CONFERENCE

Participants include industry, environmentalists, academia, government

January 11, 2005
12:00 AM
Washington, D.C. – The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee staff has invited 32 groups to present and discuss their proposed solutions to the predicted U.S. shortage of natural gas at a half-day bipartisan conference scheduled for Monday, January 24, at 1 p.m. in Hart 216. The committee announced the conference last month and invited the public to submit written proposals that address various aspects of what is expected to be a significant gap between natural gas supply and demand in coming years. The committee received more than 120 proposals from the public, gas producers, utilities, environmentalists, universities, think tanks and state and federal agencies. Republican and Democrat policy staff reviewed the proposals and selected 32 groups to present 38 proposals for discussion at the conference. (Five of the groups will present more than one proposal.) The committee initially asked the public to address eight topics. The eight topics have since been condensed into six. Similarly, the conference has been divided into six sessions. The participants will each have two minutes to introduce their proposals and make their main points. The remaining time will be used to debate proposals and field questions. The public and media are invited to attend. The participants and the topics they will address are listed below. The list is subject to change in the event of cancellation. Representatives from some federal agencies not included as participants may be on hand to provide technical support and answer background questions. This list of participants, conference guidelines and the text of the proposals to be discussed at the conference can be found on the committee website at: www.energy.senate.gov. How can we increase domestic supplies from on-shore and off-shore resources? 1:00 pm – 1:35pm Participants: • Natural Gas Council • Advanced Resources • National Ocean Industries Association • Western Organization of Resource Councils • New Mexico Oil & Gas Association • American Public Gas Association • State of Alaska What should our expectations be regarding imported LNG as a supply source, and what policies should be considered on LNG terminal siting and safety? 1:40pm – 2:15pm Participants: • National Commission on Energy Policy • Dominion Energy • Center for Liquefied Natural Gas • National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) What legislative or regulatory policies should be implemented to encourage needed additional safe and adequate infrastructure for natural gas transmission and distribution lines and storage? 2:20pm – 2:55pm Participants: • State of Louisiana • Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission • Interstate Natural Gas Association of America • Consumer Federation • Independent Storage • FERC Break 3:00pm – 3:15pm What are environmental challenges and regulatory barriers related to expanding our natural gas supply and how can they be remedied? 3:15pm – 3:50pm Participants: • The Wilderness Society • Natural Resources Defense Council • National Commission on Energy Policy • Independent Petroleum Association of America • Domestic Petroleum Council To what extent and how can demand be reduced through conservation and efficiency measures and through diversification of energy sources used for electric generation, industrial and other applications? 3:55pm – 4:40pm Participants: • Calpine • National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners • Nuclear Energy Institute • PPM Energy • Harvard University • Coal Utilization Research Council • American Gas Association • American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Is storage and market information adequate to ensure well-functioning natural gas markets? 4:45pm – 5:15pm Participants: • Committee of Chief Risk Officers • American Electric Power • Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission • Consumers Alliance for Affordable Natural Gas • New York Mercantile Exchange • Natural Gas Council • FERC ###