'Our message for Congress: If it is not broken don't try to fix it'
The lobbyist for the Interstate Natural Gas Association says he's delighted President Barack Obama now sees natural as part of the long-term solution to the nation's energy needs, though producers would rather Congress not enact legislation providing new incentives for alternative fuels as the president proposed.
President Barack Obama mentioned natural gas a component along with wind power and other alternatives during his recent State of the Union address. Martin Edwards, the association's vice president for legislative affairs, made his comments Monday at what has become a ritual in Washington: a briefing by a business group on its legislation goals for the Congress and administration.
Edwards said natural gas is becoming an increasing choice for industries hoping to rely on less polluting fuels and fears a new alternative energy bill might encourage more use of other alternatives.
"Our message for Congress: If it is not broken don't try to fix it," Edwards said.
Obama mentioned natural gas a component along with wind power and other alternatives during his recent State of the Union address. "We were happy about that," Edwards said, though Edwards said the association doesn't see a need for new legislation promoting alternatives to traditional oil and gas.
Edwards said the association expects a major push by Congress and the administration to strengthen pipeline safety regulations. He said the industry believes it has a "good safety record," though he concedes "it isn't perfect."
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman expressed concern last week about a recent flurry of pipeline accidents, including one last week in Pennsylvania. The worst was a September pipeline accident in San Bruno, Calif., in which eight people were killed.
Edwards said that the industry opposes a proposal by the Obama administration to help finance the regulatory costs for pipelines with a new fee he said would include pipelines that cover distances as little as 10 miles. He said he prefers a Senate bill, introduced recently by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that would impose higher regulatory fees for pipelines covering 1,000 miles or longer.
Edwards said that he expects to see more arrangements, like the one recently approved by Nucor for its planned $750 million iron-making plan in St. James Parish, in which the company agreed to jointly develop natural gas infrastructure with natural gas suppliers and pipeline firms.
Those cooperative agreements will become an increasing trend, especially as economic growth generates new industrial production, Edwards said.