Congress

The Natural Gas Supply Association has joined with forces urging Congress to direct FERC to revise its compliance procedures and set up an office of compliance assistance to guide market participants in compliance procedures.

The Natural Gas Supply Association has joined with forces urging Congress to direct FERC to revise its compliance procedures and set up an office of compliance assistance to guide market participants in compliance procedures.

Four members of Congress assured the natural gas industry that they are working on a bipartisan basis to create comprehensive energy legislation, and appreciate recent input from some unusual quarters — specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pope Francis. They did not, however, appreciate shouted comments by environmental activists repeatedly interrupting their presentation at the Natural Gas Roundtable session in Washington Thursday.

Four members of Congress assured the natural gas industry that they are working on a bipartisan basis to create comprehensive energy legislation, and appreciate recent input from some unusual quarters — specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency and Pope Francis. They did not, however, appreciate shouted comments by environmental activists repeatedly interrupting their presentation at the Natural Gas Roundtable session in Washington Thursday.

President Obama vetoed a bill authorizing construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline on Tuesday, following through on his threat to do so shortly after Republicans secured control of both chambers of Congress.

The need for a boost for the natural gas vehicle (NGV) sector is recognized on a bipartisan basis in Congress, but how and when it will take shape was still unknown on Wednesday after six industry executives made their case for federal tax incentives at a Senate Finance Committee subcommittee hearing chaired by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).

The controversial TransCanada Corp. Keystone XL Pipeline project failed passage in the U.S. Senate late Tuesday, gaining a 59-41 favorable vote, but falling one vote short of a required 60 ayes. Earlier, the House had passed its version of the bill giving the green light to the project, which has been stalled by the Obama administration for several years.

President Obama, in the State of the Union (SOTU) speech Tuesday night before Congress, praised natural gas and oil development in the United States, as well as its importance in fueling energy independence and creating jobs, but said $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies could be better deployed elsewhere.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday the federal government should create an offshore leasing and exploration program, open more of the land it owns onshore to oil and natural gas drilling, and refrain from finalizing proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on federal land.