Clean Efficient Natural Gas is Cornerstone to Solution of Climate Change Problem

Washington, D.C. – “Natural gas, because it is clean and efficient, can serve as the
cornerstone in addressing the need to reduce greenhouse gases,” said David N. Parker,
president and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA), which represents energy utilities
that deliver natural gas to 170 million Americans.

Parker noted that, “Natural gas is a premium fuel from an environmental perspective, but
restrictions on access to natural gas supplies and on the pipelines and infrastructure needed
to deliver it are limiting the ability to fully use this fuel for optimum environmental gain. These
restrictions have resulted in higher and more volatile natural gas prices, pushing some
consumers to less environmentally-attractive competing energy forms.”

“In light of an ongoing failure to increase access to domestic natural gas supplies, the U.S.
must adopt an energy policy that promotes diversification of electricity generating sources,
including increased use of nuclear, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC or others
“clean coal”), wind, solar and other sources,” he added. “Policymakers must provide energy
utilities the opportunity to make greater use of domestic resources to make meaningful
advances in addressing climate change,” he said.

AGA released a set of “Climate Change Principles” that spelled out its position on the role of
natural gas in addressing climate change. The Principles are summarized below:

1.  Reasonable and responsible federal action to reduce greenhouse gases is warranted
   and must be developed in concert with national energy and economic policies and
   goals;
2. In order for natural gas to fully contribute in terms of reducing greenhouse gas
   emissions, natural gas supplies must be increased;
3.  All sectors of the economy should contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in
   a manner consistent with that sector’s contribution to the problem and its economic
   impact; therefore a uniform program for all sectors may not be desirable;
4. High efficiency end-use natural gas applications should be the cornerstone of any
   greenhouse gas emission reduction program;
5. A diverse mix of low greenhouse gas-emitting energy sources including solar, wind,
   clean coal and nuclear power, should be promoted for new and existing electricity
   generation facilities;
6. Climate change mitigation actions should be carefully constructed so natural gas can
   continue to be part of the solution to the problem; and
7. Any emission reduction program should focus on energy consumers and/or producers,
   not on local distribution companies.