Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) engages negatively on climate policy in the US. The group actively promotes fossil gas and advocates for policies in favor of gas infrastructure. Center for LNG, a committee of the NGSA dedicated specifically to expanding the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, consistently promotes LNG investments and infrastructure in the US and EU through public communications and direct engagement with policymakers.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: NGSA has a mix of positive and negative top-line positions on climate change policies. The group has stated support for an economy-wide net-zero emission target by 2050 according to a document published in October 2023. While this document references the Paris Agreement, it is unclear if it supports the goals of the Agreement. NGSA appears unsupportive of the need for stringent climate regulation: on the website, when accessed in May 2024, NGSA supported market-based carbon pricing with the caveat that environmental policies should ensure a role for fossil gas in the energy mix.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: The NGSA demonstrates both positive and negative positions on its engagement with specific policy, although it appears to have limited recent engagement. In September 2021, NGSA stated support for direct regulation of methane in a joint-letter from the American Petroleum Institute to the US Committee on Environment and Public Works. The group’s comments to the US government in October 2022 opposed the Department of Energy’s proposal to raise the ambition of energy conservation standards for fossil gas and propane furnaces. A report from Gizmodo from January 2021 revealed that the NGSA actively petitioned the Department of Energy to introduce rules that will allow less efficient heaters and furnaces to continue to be sold.
Positioning on Energy Transition: NGSA appears to advocate for a long-term role for fossil gas in the energy mix, and appears to oppose policies that would aid the decarbonization of the economy. For example, NGSA is actively engaged in advocating for fossil gas infrastructure to various departments of the US federal government. In a November 2023 statement to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, NGSA advocated for market measures to facilitate investment in new fossil gas infrastructure. Similarly, the group’s comments to the US Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in September 2023 opposed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Phase 2 Revisions, which propose the consideration of climate-related effects in project reviews, among other amendments. In these comments, NGSA advocated for the review processes to facilitate the build out of fossil gas projects.
NGSA appears to be engaged on technologies related to decarbonization. In a September 2023 document, NGSA supported the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from organic waste. An October 2023 document advocated for an increased role for hydrogen produced from fossil fuels (“blue”) without mentioning the need to transition away from a fossil fuel-based energy system. While NGSA supports the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), it appears to use this support to advocate for new fossil gas investments. For instance, in April 2022, NGSA’s response to the US Council on Environmental Quality on its CCUS Guidance supported fossil gas infrastructure permitting, citing that pipelines will be needed for enabling CCUS technology.
In addition, Center for LNG (CLNG) consistently advocates for a long-term role for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the US. The group opposed the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits, citing concerns around economic growth and energy security. For example, Executive Director Charlie Riedl testified before the US Senate in opposition to the pause in February 2024, and CLNG supported a federal court injunction against the pause in a July 2024 press release.
CLNG has also consistently advocated in favor of permitting reform to facilitate increased fossil gas infrastructure in the US. For example, in a July 2024 press release, CLNG supported the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 on the basis that it would incentivize investments in LNG infrastructure. Additionally, in April 2022 comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), CLNG opposed changes to FERC’s permitting process for fossil gas facilities on the basis that the changes would create additional administrative hurdles in constructing fossil gas infrastructure.
This summary was last updated in Q2 2024.