Lauren Blosse Energy Groups Talk Future of Natural Gas, Renewables at USEA

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Lauren Blosse | Comments Off


At the United States Energy Association’s (USEA) 6th Annual State of the Energy Industry Forum, leaders from the natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear, mining, petroleum and financial sectors shared their take on what the future might hold for the United States’ comprehensive energy portfolio.

AGA President and CEO David Parker told the audience, “We represent the customer, so the price of natural gas is critical to us.  And I’m pleased to report today that with new shale discoveries across the country, we’re more confident about the natural gas supply picture than ever before.   This clean, efficient, reliable, American fuel is and will be available to us in abundant quantities.”

“No industry here today is going away, so there is no need for a fuel war,” he continued.  “Our country needs all the energy sources it can get if the economy is going to recover. We’re optimistic about the overall energy picture in the United States.”

A consensus was reached among the speakers that the country’s often-divisive political environment could play a major role in the momentum- or lack thereof- of any climate and energy legislation.

For more information visit the USEA forum.

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Dan Gibson LIHEAP Action Day coming up

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


Here are the details on the upcoming Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Action Day for which we just sent out information yesterday afternoon.

It’s only five weeks until the National Fuel Funds Network’s (NFFN) LIHEAP Action Day, February 10, 2010 in Washington, D.C.  Registration for NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day is now open. The deadline for discounted hotel rooms is January 21. Please join delegates from across the country in the Nation’s Capitol to kick-off advocacy for at least $5.1 billion for LIHEAP in Fiscal Year 2011.

If you have already registered, thank you. If you have not registered, please help NFFN plan for the event and register now. by visiting www.nationalfuelfunds.org.

We need your participation on LIHEAP Action Day to maintain and increase LIHEAP funding. Here’s why:

On December 18, the National Assistance Energy Directors’ Association released a study that shows how much of a difference the increase in LIHEAP funding made in FY 2009.  A record number of households received assistance. The study is available at www.neada.org,

“The number of households receiving heating assistance reached record levels for the second year in a row, increasing from 6.1 million (5.8 million heating and 0.3 million cooling) to 8.3 million (7.7 million heating and 0.6 million cooling). Eleven states reported increases of more than 50%: California 162%, Texas 122%, Florida 104%, Nevada 80%, Arizona 80%, Oklahoma 76.3%, Kentucky 72.1%, Delaware 71%, Tennessee 62%, Oregon 55%, and Washington 54%.”

NEADA also projects “an increase of 20% in the number of families applying for assistance based on initial application rates”. NFFN agrees with NEADA that “The current funding level will not be sufficient to meet the need if current trends continue. In the absence of supplemental funding, states will have few choices other than to reduce benefits, tighten eligibility requirements or close programs early.”

LIHEAP advocates have their work cut out for them to make sure that these choices will not come to fruition. Since 2003, NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day has been integral to convincing Congress to increase LIHEAP funding to the present $5.1 billion annually. We will need to work hard to secure this level again or more in FY 2011. The action begins on February 10. We need your participation.

NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day will begin with a breakfast briefing at 8:15 am and end with a reception 4:30 on Wednesday, February 10, 2010.  The American Gas Association will provide their Capitol Hill office as central gathering place. NFFN will distribute talking points and background information, expert advice and training in lobbying for LIHEAP for a diverse group of participants.

We expect representatives from fuel funds and other nonprofit organizations, consumer advocacy programs, utility and fuel oil companies and associations, and local, state and Tribal governments. Action Day advocates will fan out over Capitol Hill with a uniform message for legislators – provide needed LIHEAP funding.

NFFN will also have a briefing and reception for early arrivals on Tuesday, February 9 at 4:30, PM, at a location close to the event hotel.

There is no charge for registration. We will update registrants on the legislative situation and other developments between now and LIHEAP Action Day.

NFFN has arranged for discounted hotel rates for February 9 and 10 at the Red Roof Inn in downtown Washington. The hotel is in Chinatown, near the Verizon Center.  It is directly accessible on the Metro yellow line from Reagan National Airport, two blocks from the Gallery Place stop. The deadline for the discounted room rate at the Red Roof Inn is January 21. Please register now for the hotel. NFFN will provide bus transportation from the hotel to Capitol Hill on the morning of February 10.

Red Roof Inn
500 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
(202) 289-5959

Room Rate: $149 + tax
Reference No: B254NFF10

For more details on Action Day, please contact NFFN Executive Director George Coling, 202-824-0660, coling@nationalfuelfunds.org. Also, please read a supportive editorial from the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28mon2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion.

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Dan Gibson Clean Cities Success Story: City of Columbus

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Vehicle Technologies Program. With almost 90 local coalitions and more than 5,700 stakeholders, Clean Cities’ mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. We’ve written about Clean Cities a few times in the past.

Their latest success story comes from the City of Columbus. The city has integrated CNG/gasoline light-duty trucks and a new CNG refuse truck into its daily operations. They’ve been so impressed with the vehicles that they plan to add 21 more CNG trucks by 2011. They’re also building a new CNG fueling station to go along with the vehicles.



You can view the video above or hop on over to the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Web site for more. Be sure to visit the AGA YouTube channel if you’re looking for more great natural gas videos. Before you go though, you can visit our “vehicles” category on the right for more great natural gas vehicles stories.

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Andrew Soto Welcome John Norris to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Andrew Soto | Comments Off


Before it adjourned on December 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate confirmed John Norris to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Norris, a former chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, has recently been serving as chief of staff to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack.  Norris fills the seat vacated by former FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher.

The commission comprises five members who serve staggered, five-year terms.  No more than three commissioners may be of the same political party.  With Norris’ confirmation, FERC now has four commissioners:  Phil Moeller, a Republican, has been on the commission since 2006, and his term expires this year (June 30, 2010); Marc Spitzer, also a Republican, joined the commission shortly after Phil Moeller, and his term expires next year (June 30, 2011); John Norris, a Democrat who was recently confirmed, will serve a term ending June 30, 2012; and Jon Wellinghoff, also a Democrat, serves as chairman of the commission, and his term will end June 30, 2013.  There is an open seat with a term expiring June 30, 2014.  This seat was recently vacated by Suedeen Kelly, who had been on the commission since 2003 but declined President Obama’s invitation to serve for another five years.

Serving as a FERC commissioner is a demanding job – the workload is heavy, the policy calls are significant and the demands on one’s time from interested parties wanting to hear and express views are never ending.  There should be five commissioners to spread the work around.  While the commission can function with four and even three commissioners, the decision-making process is improved when different perspectives and opinions are brought to bear on the myriad policy calls that arise on a daily basis.  Having only four commissioners means that every decision must command a three-fourths majority, and although the issues with which FERC deals do not usually break along partisan lines, having two Republican commissioners and two Democratic commissioners only invites partisan considerations.

I look forward to John Norris’ term on the commission and wish him the best.  I hope that President Obama soon nominates someone of high quality to fill the open seat and that the Senate confirms him or her shortly thereafter.  To be truly effective the Commission should have a full complement of five commissioners.

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