NPRA chief expects major US energy bill by September

03 April 2005 16:45  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (CNI)--A US national energy policy bill may emerge from Congress by September this year, a top chemical industry official said here, and the bill may help advance development of available US natural gas supplies.

 

“We’re hopeful that this is the year that we get a supply-based national energy bill out of Congress,” NPRA president Bob Slaughter told CNI in an interview.

 

Speaking in advance of the 30th annual International Petrochemical Conference (IPC) in San Antonio, Texas, Slaughter said the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) “has been pushing for Hill action on granting more access to onshore and offshore gas reserves and additional facilities for LNG [liquefied natural gas] and completion of the Alaska pipeline.”

 

“We’re in a situation,” Slaughter said in reference to growing US demand for natural gas as an energy fuel and a chemical feedstock, “where we need increases in supply from all potential sources of natural gas. And we’re hopeful that these natural gas needs will be a major focus of Congress in this term.”

 

Slaughter recently testified before Congress on US natgas needs, noting that on one hand the federal government has followed policies that impose restrictive regulations on development of US gas reserves while on the other hand encouraging more use of natgas as a clean-burning fuel for power generation.

 

“These conflicting policies,” Slaughter told Congress, “are incompatible with continued US economic growth.”

 

Three times in as many years Congress has failed to produce a comprehensive US energy policy bill.  But this year, said Slaughter, “we’re hopeful that will change.”

 

He said expectations for an energy bill being completed and sent on to the president by mid-year are “somewhat optimistic.” But Slaughter said he expects the House to complete an energy bill by end of April and the Senate to complete work on its version of the major legislation by June or July.  “We could see a conference bill come out of Congress by early fall,” Slaughter said, suggesting a bill to the White House perhaps as early as September.

 

If Congress should again falter in its effort to craft a comprehensive energy bill, Slaughter said he is confident that the urgent demands for natural gas will move Congress to act on that issue alone, even without a larger energy policy bill.

 

Washington-based NPRA represents more than 450 member companies, including virtually all US refiners and petrochemical manufacturers.

By: Joe Kamalick
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