AGA Hosts Inaugural Natural Gas Readiness Forum to Improve Energy Reliability

WASHINGTON - The American Gas Association hosted the inaugural Natural Gas Readiness Forum Meeting (Readiness Forum) on December 16 and 17 in Atlanta in collaboration with other energy trade associations. The Readiness Forum is a recommendation passed by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Gas-Electric Alignment for Reliability (GEAR) Working Group last month. The meeting in Atlanta fostered operational education, situational awareness and peer-to-peer connections across the entire natural gas industry, electric sector, and federal and state government and end-users. As the energy system across the country becomes increasingly integrated with natural gas playing a critical role in meeting the energy needs and goals of the nation, gas-electric coordination has become more important to maintaining reliability during extreme weather events.

"The unmatched resilience and reliability of natural gas delivery is a fundamental part of our energy system," said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert. "Reliability is something our industry is known for, and we're pleased to help lead this effort to ensure that value to provide reliable energy to customers and communities is held throughout the entire energy industry."

"GEAR was established not to produce a report, to do additional analysis, or to look at the past, but to look to the future and look for ways to get alignment and put forward solutions," said NARUC President and Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore during the meeting. "I'm very grateful to AGA for stepping up and leading this forum."

Presentations at the meeting explored a variety of topics related to the reliability of the energy system, the role of natural gas and how the natural gas system prepares for periods of high natural gas demand. The American Gas Association has strongly supported efforts to improve the resilience of the energy system during peak demand periods.

Featured speakers at the meeting included:

• Karen Harbert, President and CEO, American Gas Association

• Tricia Pridemore, Georgia Public Service Commissioner and NARUC President

• Jim Robb, President and CEO, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

• Kal Ayoub, Director of the Office of Electric Reliability, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

• Amy Andryszak, President and CEO, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America

• Anne Ressler, Manager, Situational Awareness and Analysis, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy

• Ben Bolton, Senior Energy Programs Administrator, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Infrastructure Branch Manager and Primary Emergency Services Coordinator for Energy for the State of Tennessee

• Katie Sieben, Chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

• Will Lanxton, Meteorologist, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA)

• Representatives from BP Energy Company, Calpine Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Electric Power Supply Association, NiSource, PJM Interconnection, and Southern Company Gas.

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