Author Archives: Hannah Bozian

Hannah Bozian The Natural Gas Revolution: Promise and Pitfalls – the Progressive Policy Institute

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Hannah Bozian | Comments Off


On July 21, Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA) spoke among a panel of experts at the Progressive Policy Institute’s conversation about “The Natural Gas Revolution: Promise and Pitfalls.” The discussion sought to address the benefits and challenges for the natural gas industry, and how to efficiently and economically move the debate forward.

McCurdy was joined by Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Climate Change, Representative Jason Altmire (D-PA), Roger Cooper, Principal of Cleveland Park Consulting, Vello Kuuskraa, President of Advances Resources, Amy Mall, Senior Policy Analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Peter Molinaro, Vice President of Federal and State Affairs at the Dow Chemical Company, and Peter Robertson, Senior Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and America’s Natural Gas Alliance.

110721 ppi blog The Natural Gas Revolution: Promise and Pitfalls the Progressive Policy Institute

Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA) 

Many in the natural gas and energy industry agree that the future of the industry relies on honest, fact-based conversations about the industry and this was exactly that. Zichal began by placing natural gas in a broader energy context, noting the economic pains of the rising price of oil and some of the challenges for oil and coal for a clean energy future. She stressed that to the Obama administration, natural gas is a “big part” of the solution to our energy challenges.

Rep. Altmire spoke of the successes the industry has seen in his home state of Pennsylvania through Marcellus shale drilling, citing 140,000 jobs created as a direct result of the natural gas industry. He brought up a recent study from Pennsylvania State University, stating that by 2020 the Marcellus shale play will provide 25% of America’s natural gas needs.

Dave McCurdy emphasized the opportunity for natural gas to help reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, and to create jobs, new technologies and innovations at home.  Natural gas, he said, is a “game changer” in the energy industry because of its abundance and America’s ability to rise to the challenge and innovate already existing technologies.

This fact-based discussion was just what the industry needs more of in order to help ensure continued safe and reliable access to this foundation fuel—natural gas.

Watch the video below.


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Hannah Bozian Troops to Energy Jobs: A Win-Win Partnership

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Hannah Bozian | 1 Comment


The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a non-profit consortium of electrical, natural gas, and nuclear utilities, their associations, and their unions, has started a new program designed to address the increasing need for workers in the energy industry by enlisting America’s hard working veterans.

The Troops to Energy Jobs initiative is an effort to create an accelerated program for returning military veterans into the national energy workforce. Our military does an amazing job preparing our troops with the skills they need to succeed in the field, so why not take these skills and translate them into a career in energy?

The program works by speeding up the training process required for those in the energy workforce, by applying relevant military training to class credits.  And for added convenience, those classes will be available online.

Troops to Energy Jobs will work with the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Labor, as well as a variety of other institutions to help foster this partnership between the U.S. military and the energy industry.  A survey by CEWD estimated that by 2015, there would be 100,000 job openings in the energy industry, and we clearly need well qualified, dedicated and hardworking people to fill these positions. Who better than our veterans!

The program will target all branches of the military, so all service men and women are eligible.

AGA, as a member of the CEWD, fully supports this program that provides excellent job opportunities to America’s finest, while at the same time training highly skilled workers to help our industry.  The program provides rewarding jobs to those who truly deserve them—a true win-win in our book.

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Hannah Bozian AGA Analysis of the 2010-2011 Winter Heating Season

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Hannah Bozian | Comments Off


Colder Temperatures Can Affect What You Pay For Natural Gas

As painful as it may seem, it is never too early to be thinking about winter heating…or is it?

On June 29, 2011, AGA released an energy analysis of the 2010-2011 winter heating season. Each year local natural gas utilities develop a plan to reliably meet customer needs during winter heating season peak consumption periods. 

For this year’s survey, questions focused on peak-day and peak-month supply practices, pricing mechanisms, as well as regulatory and market hedging practices. To maximize efficiency, all of the companies surveyed indicated that they use storage services to satisfy demand, especially considering the unexpected weather patterns. Storage services help manage the gas supply and transportation portfolio efficiently, and in a way that reduces costs, which is what everyone wants. 

The report discusses how winter temperatures play a significant role in supply planning as well as consumer bills. During the winter months, natural gas customers consume more gas than usual, so it is necessary to look at the trends that may affect your wallet.

Last year, while October and November were warmer than previously recorded averages, December, January and February were colder than normal.  For the companies surveyed, their peak months for gas usage were almost evenly distributed among these coldest three months (13 companies had their peaks in December, 18 in January, and 15 in February). Gas companies have to determine their supply of gas based on their projected peak consumption levels so they have enough gas for all of the customers, and can deliver it in a timely manner.

If you would like to learn more, please contact Lydia Meigs, lmeigs@aga.org.

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Hannah Bozian FERC Commissioner John Norris Addresses the Natural Gas Roundtable

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Hannah Bozian | Comments Off


On June 22, 2011, the monthly meeting of the Natural Gas Roundtable convened with keynote speaker, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Commissioner John Norris.

Norris voiced his confidence that natural gas will play a large role in the future of America’s energy needs, but also spoke of the difficulties in getting investments for energy infrastructure that are needed for the natural gas industry to grow.

Norris noted that because natural gas is America’s energy future, in terms of infrastructure, “it is important we get it right.”

“Investing in this type of infrastructure is beneficial for the economy,” said Norris, “because a large investment will help America transition its energy usage while creating jobs.  We need to replace much of this infrastructure anyway, because at this point, it qualifies for AARP benefits.”

In his speech, Norris remarked that America’s energy issue is “the biggest big-picture challenge we face as a country right now.”

There’s no doubt that natural gas is imperative to help reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and satisfy other clean energy goals.

“No matter where I look in the energy debate,” Norris said, “it seems like it all comes back around to natural gas.”

We couldn’t agree more.

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