GLOBAL CLIMATE DEBATE

Natural Gas Producers in D.C. to Promote Benefits

The heads of some U.S. natural gas producers are in DC trying to influence climate change legislation.

They're members of ANGA, America's Natural Gas alliance, a newly formed group of 28 companies, all natural gas supporters trying to push the benefits of gas on lawmakers.

Among them, Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McLendon as well as representatives of Noble Energy and Apache Corporation.  Chesapeake is a supporter of the American Clean Skies Foundation, which funds Clean Skies News.

As members of the group met with reporters today, McLendon said ANGA has one mission: to generate more natural gas demand. 

David Trice of Newfield Exploration and Chairman of the Alliance was also present. He said companies in the group didnt have an active role in climate change legislation in the House, and said, "We will correct that in the Senate." 

They are touting the abundance of domestic natural gas, and the fact that natural gas produces about 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal when burned as a power source. 

Meanwhile, the American Gas Association is joining forces with the NRDC.

They're announcing support for DOE moving to what's called a "full fuel cycle" measurement of energy consumption in assessment of national and environmental impacts, particularly levels of greenhouse gas emissions. 

AGA says that DOE calculates appliances' efficiency with a "site measurement" to determine energy used, only at the point of end use. This ignores energy lost in producing, generating and transporting energy to the end use. 

Source: Bloomberg