These are heady times for the gas industry. The administration's National Energy Strategy (NES) initiative had been emerging over the last year and a half as strongly pro-gas. Strong moves were afoot both within and outside the administration to anoint gas as the "fuel of choice." The PersianGulfwar, withits wildly gyratingoilprices,brought energy policy front and center, so that now virtually all political forces feel that "something" should be done.
This being Washington, Congress decided to get started without waiting for the administration's NES legislative package. In early February Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La., introduced a broad energy bill, S.341 (National Energy Security Act of 1991), with fifteen titles covering subjects ranging from energy efficiency to uranium enrichment.
Rep. Phil Sharp, D-Ind., did the same thing in the House, but through a series of separate bills. Title X of S.341 and H.R779 (Natural Gas Enhancement Act of 1991) deal with regulation of interstate pipelines and FERC's jurisdiction over certain aspects their operations and activities.
In March, the administration delivered its NES legislative package to the Hill. Introduced in the Senate as S.570, the National Energy Strategy Act addressed gas pipeline and FERC issues in its Title 11.
Goals of the Various Bills
Few would quarrel with the goals of all three pieces of legislationto streamline current administrative procedures for pipeline regulation and to bring needed pipeline projects to completion and operation more expeditiously. However, the bills differ markedly in their protection of the Edward J. Grenier, Jr. is head of the energy section at the Washington, DC, law fum of Sutherlond, Asbill & Brennan and is the end user columnist for Natural Gas.