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Climate change is rapidly becoming the key domestic policy issue for the new Congress.  A flurry of legislative proposals has already been introduced, and Speaker Pelosi has stated that climate change will be the focus for her leadership over the next six months now that the “100 Hours” agenda… Read More

The Senate Finance Committee will begin reviewing energy tax policy in the coming months, and we understand that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would like an energy tax bill on the Senate floor before the year is out.  Expect Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senate… Read More

The 110th Congress got off to a running start, particularly in the House where Speaker Pelosi focused on her “100 Hours” agenda.  That agenda included, of course, the repeal of several tax benefits for oil and natural gas producers, as well as an effort to force renegotiation of off-shore… Read More

On January 16, the DC Circuit heard oral arguments in INGAA’s challenge to FERC’s orders requiring the expensing of costs incurred to comply with the Pipeline Safety Act of 2002.  The appeal focuses principally on the baseline testing (i.e., smart pigging) and data integration costs, and the thrust of… Read More

We are in the process of finalizing the content of the Foundation’s Midyear meeting. The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines outside of Austin, TX on April 26-27.  Please mark this on your calendars and encourage appropriate people within your companies to attend this meeting. … Read More

On February 7-8, PHMSA held a joint government/industry research and development forum in New Orleans.  The event included approximately 250 representatives from Federal, State and international government agencies, public representatives, research funding organizations, standards organizations, and pipeline operators from the U.S. and overseas. The main purpose of the forum was… Read More

As a follow up to the INGAA Foundation’s successful October 2006 SCADA Workshop, the Foundation held its second SCADA Workshop in Houston on February 12-13.  While the first workshop focused primarily on issue identification, this follow-up workshop was primarily concerned with critical issues such as SCADA security. The workshop… Read More

On February 22, INGAA attended a working group kick-off meeting of the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) and World Resources Institute (WRI) protocol initiative.  The purpose of this project is to produce a guidance document and protocol for accounting emissions from Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution assets. The CCAR… Read More

Since the beginning of the year, INGAA, working with input from several member companies, began working with Diamax Information Services to redesign and implementation of a new INGAA website.  Diamax was asked to review INGAA’s current web content, analyze website traffic statistics, interview staff, review INGAA’s business processes, strategic… Read More

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman has been announcing his intent to introduce a comprehensive energy bill within the next several months, focusing specifically on renewable energy development, biofuel production and infrastructure, and a renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities.  The Senator’s staff has asked for INGAA’s advice on… Read More

Climate change is the issue-of-the-day for Congress, as numerous hearings get underway on the science surrounding climate change, and legislative solutions for addressing the problem.  House Speaker Pelosi has put her Committee Chairmen on notice that a climate change bill is expected for House floor debate prior to July… Read More

On February 5, INGAA submitted comments to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, urging that a draft report to Congress by DOE and DOI continues to misinterpret the nature of tribal sovereignty and tribal authority under EPAct, underestimates the problems associated with negotiating renewal and new energy rights-of way across… Read More

INGAA is preparing to respond to FERC’s request for comments on secondary market (capacity release) issues raised in two pending petitions filed by PG&E and Coral Energy.  PG&E is asking FERC to remove the existing cap (i.e., the pipeline’s maximum rate) on released capacity transactions.  Coral Energy, joined by… Read More

INGAA is preparing comments in response to FERC’s January notice proposing permanent standards of conduct governing the relationship between transmission providers (both pipeline and public utility) and their affiliates.  (FERC’s proposal responds to the court decision in National Fuel Gas, which vacated Order 2004.)  As far as pipelines are… Read More

We look forward to a successful Midyear meeting at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines outside of Austin, TX on April 26-27.  Registration has been robust and we anticipate a well attended meeting. As mentioned in the prior Board Report, Dr. Martin Regalia, the Chief Economist of the… Read More

INGAA Board members and INGAA staff met with Commissioner Wellinghoff on March 27 at FERC to discuss INGAA’s white paper on the feasibility of constructing pipeline compressor engine waste heat recovery facilities for electric generation.  The INGAA white paper states that interstate pipelines are open to exploring building such… Read More

On March 28, INGAA filed comments in response to FERC’s Notice of Inquiry regarding proposals to revise its financial reporting forms (2, 2-A, 3-Q).  INGAA stated that the information currently in the forms, along with other publicly available information, is sufficient to provide FERC and the public with the data… Read More

On March 21, FERC clarified two aspects of its interim affiliate rules in response to INGAA’s request for expedited clarification or rehearing.  (See February board bulletin).  First, FERC clarified that the rules apply only to pipelines affiliated “with a marketing or brokering entity that conducts transportation transactions on such… Read More

March was a busy month for the House Energy and Commerce Committee as it worked its way through numerous hearings on various aspects of climate change legislation.  One important scheduling issue emerged.  While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had made it clear that she expects climate change legislation to be… Read More

Most of you will remember that last year’s Pipeline Safety Act reauthorization included a provision requiring PHMSA to report back to Congress within 60 days on legislative recommendations for implementing the GAO report on reassessment intervals.  The GAO has recommended that Congress repeal the current seven-year mandate and replace… Read More