AGA Issues Statement on President Obama's Climate Action Plan
STATEMENT BY AGA PRESIDENT AND CEO DAVE MCCURDY ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Washington, D.C. –Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s Climate Action Plan:
“Working alongside renewables and energy efficiency, our domestic abundance of natural gas provides an incredible opportunity to deliver the essential energy that will help drive economic growth while protecting the environment. Natural gas utilities are committed to actions that, in the words of the President, 'save families money, make our businesses more competitive and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'
“In communities throughout the country, demand for safe and responsible delivery of natural gas has increased and local utilities have heeded that call, upgrading and expanding what the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration calls the safest and most reliable method of delivering energy in the nation. We welcome President Obama’s support in these efforts.
“Through on-going investments to modernize the natural gas delivery infrastructure, AGA member utilities have helped to reduce emissions while delivering a clean energy solution to American homes and businesses. Emissions from the natural gas delivery system have been reduced by 16 percent since 1990, even as natural gas utilities are serving 30 percent more homes and businesses. These reductions are the result of America’s natural gas utilities replacing miles of cast iron and unprotected steel pipe with modern plastic pipe. We are committed to lowering emission even further. We support the President’s commitment to better understand and more accurately measure the methane emissions from natural gas systems. AGA and several of its members are joining the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to sponsor a nationwide field study to better understand emissions associated with the distribution and delivery of natural gas.
“The President can further advance our nation’s climate goals by supporting advanced technologies using natural gas, such as natural gas vehicles, microgrids, distributed generation and combined heat and power. These innovations have great potential to reduce emissions in the transportation, building and manufacturing sectors while providing customers an affordable, resilient energy solution.
“In communities throughout the country, demand for safe and responsible delivery of natural gas has increased and local utilities have heeded that call, upgrading and expanding what the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration calls the safest and most reliable method of delivering energy in the nation. We welcome President Obama’s support in these efforts.
“Through on-going investments to modernize the natural gas delivery infrastructure, AGA member utilities have helped to reduce emissions while delivering a clean energy solution to American homes and businesses. Emissions from the natural gas delivery system have been reduced by 16 percent since 1990, even as natural gas utilities are serving 30 percent more homes and businesses. These reductions are the result of America’s natural gas utilities replacing miles of cast iron and unprotected steel pipe with modern plastic pipe. We are committed to lowering emission even further. We support the President’s commitment to better understand and more accurately measure the methane emissions from natural gas systems. AGA and several of its members are joining the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to sponsor a nationwide field study to better understand emissions associated with the distribution and delivery of natural gas.
“The President can further advance our nation’s climate goals by supporting advanced technologies using natural gas, such as natural gas vehicles, microgrids, distributed generation and combined heat and power. These innovations have great potential to reduce emissions in the transportation, building and manufacturing sectors while providing customers an affordable, resilient energy solution.
“We envision a future where natural gas not only provides energy for homes and businesses, but runs a significant number of our vehicles, generates power and supports other forms of renewable energy. America’s natural gas utilities will continue to provide safe and reliable service to our customers today while building the 21st century infrastructure necessary to serve the nation’s energy needs tomorrow. With natural gas as a foundation fuel for a clean and secure energy portfolio, we can meet our national goals of boosting our economy, improving our environment and increasing our energy security.”
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The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States. There are more than 71 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 92 percent — more than 65 million customers — receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets almost one-fourth of the United States' energy needs.
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