Waxman-Markey legislation

May 22, 2009 by Kristin Schrader Marcell · Comments Off
Filed under: Natural Gas

Yesterday the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade climate change bill, H.R. 2454, “the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009″, by a vote of 33-25.

AGA noted the important step the House Energy and Commerce Committee took last night in reporting this climate change legislation and is looking forward to working with Congress as it considers this issue throughout the summer.

It is important to AGA that Congress pass legislation that will strive to improve our environment and energy security, while also encouraging the increased use of clean, abundant, domestic natural gas. As the cleanest fossil fuel, emitting only one carbon atom when burned, natural gas can play a major part in quickly reducing carbon emissions.

Since the House Energy and Commerce Committee action was covered extensively in the media, there are quite a few stories in the news today. Here are a few articles that I came across this morning:

The Washington Post reported the committee markup this week as, “a week of late-night debates that cemented the shift of climate change from rhetorical jousting to a subject of serious, if messy, Washington policymaking. ”

Here’s a story where the New York Times discusses the supporters and opponents of the cap-and-trade legislation. While some eagerly supported the bill, others were concerned that it was a burdensome tax on business that would drive companies and jobs overseas while doing little to address climate change.

The Wall Street Journal says that the Waxman-Markey legislation, “still faces significant hurdles, particularly in the Senate, where a similar proposal failed last year. But the committee’s action gives the measure a major boost in both chambers of Congress, because the panel is among the largest and most ideologically and geographically diverse in Congress, with members from Rust Belt, oil patch, farm and coastal states.”

After the Memorial Day congressional recess, several other House and Senate committees will address various aspects of the bill so the debate on this issue will likely continue throughout this summer.

What do you think about the Waxman-Markey legislation?

Tags: legislation

Safety first

May 21, 2009 by Dan Gibson · Comments Off
Filed under: safety

I don’t think there is anything more important to our members than safety. On virtually every survey we run where safety is an option, it floats to the top in terms of importance. They spend billions of dollars every year to maintain the system’s excellent safety record.

This is a good thing.

090415811web Safety first

Last month, we blogged about Call before you Dig month. The call before you dig program is important. Many people call it the most important part of the safety program for most natural gas utilities because nearly 60 percent of the incidents on utility distribution pipelines are due to excavation damage.

Of course there are many other tools that natural gas utilites use to help keep us safe. The other day I came across this chart from We Energies that contains general guidelines to maintain safe clearance distances between structure and landscaping projects. The best part about the chart in my opinion? The first thing it does is remind you to call before you dig.

Leave a comment if you’ve found a tool that people can use.

Tags:

AGA Members Recognized for Safety Excellence

May 20, 2009 by Lauren Blosse · Comments Off
Filed under: events, safety

Today, at AGA’s 2009 Operations Conference and Biennial Exhibit in Pittsburgh, a staggering 17 companies were honored for their outstanding safety records last year.

Twelve Safety Achievement Awards were given to companies that achieved the lowest “DART” incident rate – a mathematical calculation that describes the number of recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time employees that resulted in days away from work or restricted work activity.

Additionally, five companies earned Vehicle Safety Achievement Awards by experiencing the lowest motor vehicle accident rate for companies of their type.

Kudos to these companies for going the extra mile to ensure that their employees and their customers remain safe.

Safety Achievement Award winners include, by category:

Local Distribution Utilities

Mega: Enbridge Gas Distribution (North York, Ontario)

Very Large: Dominion East Ohio Gas Co. (Cleveland, OH)

Large: Citizens Energy Group (Indianapolis, IN)

Comgas (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Medium-Large: Dominion Hope (Clarksburg, WV)

Medium-Small: Equitable Gas Company (Pittsburgh, PA)

Small: Columbia Gas of Maryland (Cumberland, MD)

Combination Utilities

Large: PECO Energy (Philadelphia, PA)