Policy Issues

NGSA works on a variety of issues in the energy and climate policy spaces. As the energy mix of the nation evolves, natural gas will continue to play a vital role in the electricity sector by partnering with renewables to help further emissions reductions. Simultaneously, timely and predictable infrastructure and regulation is essential for well-functioning energy markets that serve consumers and the public.

Environment and Climate

Natural gas, like other energy sources, has an impact on the environment. This page explores policy issues associated with the environmental footprint of natural gas, including emissions. NGSA recognizes that the use of fossil fuels leads to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.

  • Energy policies must allow consumers to reap the benefits of our natural gas resources, ensuring that no consumers are left behind as we transition to a cleaner and affordable energy future.
  • NGSA supports the ambition of achieving economy-wide net zero GHG emissions by 2050.
  • NGSA advocates for rules, policies, and technologies that protect the environment while allowing our members to continue to supply electric utilities, manufacturers, businesses and households with affordable and reliable natural gas.

Policy Issues

NEPA was enacted to ensure awareness of the environmental impact of major federal projects. NGSA advocates for clear timelines and a clearly-defined scope for the effective implementation of NEPA by federal agencies, states and tribes so that needed infrastructure for economic growth can proceed with greater regulatory certainty. Some recent related documents appear below, for more please visit our Resources pages and use the “search” and “tag” functions.

NGSA advocates for clear language, timelines and scopes on regulatory permitting around Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

The natural gas industry is lowering cost for the consumer, maintaining grid reliability and actively reducing methane emissions from all parts of our supply chain.  NGSA members are committed to reducing methane emissions and making significant investments in processes and technologies to address emissions and reduce flaring.  They are improving the quality of methane data to achieve greater transparency and promote better understanding of the challenges of managing methane emissions.

Natural gas has played a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions from the U.S. power sector to 25-year lows because of its relatively low carbon content.  NGSA members believe that adopting a price on carbon can further drive down carbon emissions, while protecting consumers and maintaining competition and innovation in power markets. Some recent related documents appear below, for more please visit our Resources pages and use the “search” and “tag” functions.

Energy Markets

Consumer access to energy that is reliable, affordable and environmentally-sound is dependent on well-functioning, competitive energy markets for natural gas. This section explores the different kinds of natural gas and energy markets and key issues and regulatory bodies that influence them.

Policy Issues

Backgrounders explaining the structure of the natural gas market and the role that producers and marketers play in supplying natural gas to customers efficiently and competitively.

Market participants may choose to report their natural gas transactions to price publishers.  Transactions may occur at a fixed price, at an index derived from published prices or at a hybrid of the two.  Price indices facilitate informed decision-making in the market and are one of many tools contributing to natural gas market transparency. Independent corporate assessments of underlying fundamentals remain at the heart of natural gas transaction decisions.  Due to the exceptional transparency of the natural gas market, participants have vast, almost real-time information on which to base sound transaction decisions.

Read NGSA’s most recent outlooks for supply, demand, storage and pressure on natural gas prices here.

Financial reform legislation enacted into law in 2010 was primarily intended to target banks, mortgage lenders and credit rating agencies, but some of the provisions related to commodity markets also affected the marketing and trading of natural gas. NGSA has advocated at the CFTC since the law’s enactment in order to ensure that the Commission’s implementation of Dodd-Frank preserves liquidity and competition and risk management tools effectively while setting appropriate position limits, capital requirements and related definitions.

Infrastructure and Rate Regulation

Read the latest NGSA 2025 Pipeline Cost Recovery Report here.

Natural gas is an essential part of meeting our country’s ambitious goals of cleaner air, reliable, affordable energy and a growing, healthy economy. Access to natural gas helps business and households strengthen their pocketbooks and their standard of living.

In order to attain these goals, adequate infrastructure must be in place for energy to reach consumers and it must operate efficiently, reliably, and safely. NGSA works actively on the following key policy issues related to natural gas infrastructure.

  • The rules for the review and permitting of proposed new infrastructure: NGSA supports regulations and practices with a clearly defined scope and reasonable timeline that maintain environmental protections.
  • Rates for the transportation of natural gas on interstate pipelines:  NGSA supports rate regulation that is fair and reasonable to shippers and customers.

Policy Issues

Natural gas infrastructure is critical to the U.S. economy, manufacturing and households.  NGSA advocates in the courts and at federal agencies on behalf of necessary infrastructure.  The links below represent only a fraction of NGSA’s numerous filings, statements and actions in support of infrastructure.  For a full listing, visit our “Filings and Testimony” and “Press Releases” pages and search using the “Infrastructure” tag. 

NEPA is a fundamental tool to ensure the appropriate protection of the environment in federal regulations, mandating that federal agencies consider environmental impacts of their proposed actions.  NGSA advocates for clear timelines and a clearly-defined scope for the effective implementation of NEPA by federal agencies, states and tribes so that needed infrastructure for economic growth can proceed with greater regulatory certainty and environmental protections.

NGSA advocates for clear language, timelines and scopes on regulatory permitting around Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

Natural Gas for Electricity & Reliability

Natural gas currently provides more electricity than any other fuel source in the United States, with the power sector accounting for about one-third of U.S. natural gas consumption. Natural gas-fired power plants have low operating costs, a small land footprint and generate relatively few emissions, helping the U.S meet its energy needs, advance clean air goals, and cycle on and off rapidly to coincide with daily peaks in demand for electricity.

  • As major natural gas producers and marketers, NGSA’s members take a multitude of proactive measures to prepare for winter weather so that we can provide safe and reliable service to our customers.
  • The natural gas industry supports the growth of renewables, with the reliability of natural gas enabling that to happen. Learn More. 
  • By 2050, natural gas and renewable energy together will generate about 76 percent of all U.S. electricity, according to the Energy Information Administration.
  • NGSA advocates for rules and policies that protect the environment, while allowing our members to continue to supply electric utilities, manufacturers, businesses, and households with affordable, reliable natural gas.
  • Energy policies must allow consumers to reap the benefits of our natural gas resources, ensuring that no consumers are left behind as we transition to a clean, affordable energy future.
  • NGSA works actively on the following key policy issues related to the use of natural gas to generate electricity.

Policy issues

Natural gas has played a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions from the U.S. power sector to 25-year lows because of its relatively low carbon content and because of its role as an integral partner to renewables. NGSA advocates for a national economywide price on carbon and also believes that state and regional carbon pricing programs in power markets are valuable steps toward states meeting their climate objectives.  Adopting a price on carbon can further drive down carbon emissions, while protecting consumers and maintaining competition and innovation in power markets.

NGSA advocates for market-based approaches in state and regional energy electricity markets, since competitive energy markets have proved to yield lower energy prices, energy efficiency and emissions, while giving consumers greater choice. 

The links below represent only a fraction of NGSA’s numerous filings, statements, reports, and actions supporting fuel assurance and the reliability of natural gas at the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Independent Transmission Operators, Regional Transmission Organizations, among others.