America Needs New Pipelines to Realize Benefits of Energy Boom

Senate Should Act on H.R. 1900 to Deliver Relief From High Energy Prices 

The Energy Information Administration recently released data indicating consumers in the Northeast were once again forced to pay above average prices for natural gas over the winter as the region continues to lack adequate pipeline capacity.

While America is now producing more natural gas than ever, consumers in some parts of the country have yet to benefit from this new abundance of affordable energy due to regional infrastructure constraints.

Donald Santa, President and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, testified at an Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing in March, “It is certainly true that this winter would have been a far more troublesome without our new domestic natural gas abundance. But supply is only one side of the coin. The other side is infrastructure, and, indeed, pipelines make new shale gas supplies possible. We should not assume that the current natural gas pipeline and storage infrastructure will be sufficient to handle present and future natural gas supply development.” Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) added, “There is no question that the energy boom is great news for the U.S., but without an infrastructure boom to match it, the benefits of our energy abundance will not be fully realized.”

Even as we enter the hot summer months, we know winter will come again soon. And the only way to bring down heating prices in the future is to build new infrastructure now. That is why the House acted by passing H.R. 1900, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Act, authored by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS). This commonsense legislation will bring certainty to the permitting process so we can get pipelines in the ground quicker to address these shortages that are hurting consumers. It is a crucial component of the committee’s efforts to build the Architecture of Abundance and will enable Americans to fully enjoy the benefits of our energy abundance. It’s well-past time for the Senate to act on this legislation that will deliver relief from high energy prices. To learn more about the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, click HERE.

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