US gas utilities call for more domestic drilling, LNG imports
Washington (Platts)--12Apr2005
The American Gas Assn called for legislation being taken up Tuesday in the US House of Representatives to provide for more domestic gas production, liquefied natural gas imports and funding for low-income consumer subsidies. In an Apr 5 letter to US House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (Republican-Texas) released by AGA on Tuesday, the group urged him to "do everything in your power to reduce natural gas prices" as the committee continues marking up the Energy Policy Act. The bill is comprehensive and largely repeats attempts of past years. Many amendments on various titles are expected. The committee reconvenes later Tuesday to take up where it left off Apr 6 and is likely to get to the oil and gas title. AGA did not specify how it wants an LNG provision to read, but did assert that the bill "should help connect the US to the vast, worldwide market for liquefied natural gas by facilitating the siting of LNG receiving terminals." Increasing supply from domestic sources, such as the Intermountain West, the Gulf of Mexico and the Outer Continental Shelf, would also bring "relief from high prices," AGA said. Also, AGA asked for the bill to ease the cost of building new gas distribution lines by cutting the depreciation period to 15 from 20 years. This story was originally published in Platts Natural Gas Alert http://www.naturalgasalert.platts.com
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