Call to Action: The Natural Gas Council and the Reliability Alliance Urge State and Federal Regulators to Act on NPC Recommendations Without Delay  

WASHINGTON – The Natural Gas Council (NGC) and the Reliability Alliance together support the recommendations of the National Petroleum Council (NPC) in its recently released report on natural gas infrastructure and gas-electric coordination, and its report on the role of federal permitting reform in building the modern infrastructure network needed to meet our shared energy goals. These reports, as well as the recently released National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Gas-Electric Alignment for Reliability (GEAR) final report, make clear: we need market reforms to facilitate investment in fit-for-purpose infrastructure, and permitting reform to keep up with growing demand while keeping the lights on and homes warm. 

Our organizations, which represent the full natural gas value chain and companies that generate the electricity delivered across the country, appreciate the hard work of the NPC and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s timely request of the organization to undertake these significant reports. These reports reflect the importance of ensuring adequate infrastructure and fuel availability to support the continued reliability of gas-fired generation to successfully meet our nation’s growing demand for power.

In addition to being used in millions of American homes and businesses and fueling our allies through exports, natural gas is poised to be the foundational fuel supporting new dispatchable generation to help ensure the energy system can meet the accelerated pace of demand to win the global artificial intelligence (AI) race. This will require new pipeline capacity and energy storage to support that growing demand as well as providing the flexibility gas generators need for additional scaling capabilities while maintaining reliability and affordability for American families and businesses. To accomplish this, market reforms in organized regional power markets must ensure that generators can make investments that support new natural gas infrastructure and can purchase the natural gas products needed in advance of projected high demand periods to support system design and investment.

Our organizations urge regulators at the state and federal level to act quickly on the recommendations for improving gas-electric coordination and reforming our permitting processes for new infrastructure from the NPC and GEAR. These recommendations demonstrate strong alignment among industry and policymakers on the need to build infrastructure necessary to meet the United States’ rapidly growing and changing energy demands, and to unleash American energy dominance.

Time is of the essence. Policymakers and industry must act swiftly to develop the infrastructure that will win the global energy and AI race while continuing to meet growing demand for affordable, reliable, and secure energy.  While the natural gas and power industries are fully capable and committed to supporting our nation’s expected energy demands, we need additional direction and policy changes from state and federal policymakers to facilitate prompt implementation of these recommendations. We ask Congress, the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and state commissions to undertake action aimed at ensuring adoption of the recommendations in these reports.

About the Natural Gas Council: The Natural Gas Council was formed in 1992, uniting all sectors of the natural gas industry to work together toward common goals.  The five full members of the Council — the American Gas Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Natural Gas Supply Association — collectively represent nearly all the companies that produce, transport and distribute natural gas consumed in the United States.  Leadership of the NGC rotates annually. www.NaturalGasCouncil.org

About the Reliability Alliance: Formed proactively in 2023 following lessons from Winter Storm Elliott, the Reliability Alliance represents collaboration among  Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), and Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA). Together, these organizations advocate for improved coordination, transparency, and reliability across the natural gas and electric industries through market-based and policy solutions that benefit consumers and strengthen the nation’s energy system.