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Originally Published in the Odessa American on July 24, 2025

Congressman August Pfluger recently participated in a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on the future importance of natural gas to the nation and how burdensome federal pipeline regulations can be relieved without compromising safety.

Representing the Permian Basin in the 11th Congressional District, the San Angelo Republican led the questioning of witnesses Sarah Miller, president-CEO of the GPA Midstream Association, and Jim Moriarty, executive vice president, general counsel and chief policy and risk officer of the Chesapeake Utilities Corp.

Pfluger said a new rule has brought more than 400,000 additional miles of gathering lines under the jurisdiction of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in districts like his.

“What implementation challenges are operators currently facing on the ground and how can PHMSA better distinguish between high-risk and lower-risk areas?” he asked Miller.

“We do very much value the opportunity to have a risk-based assessment of safety concerns there,” said Miller, whose organization is based in Tulsa, Okla. “For example two different pipelines may have similar diameters or similar pressures and there are other circumstances to consider in order to make sure that we’re assessing what the risk is including proximity to populations and length of pipeline.

“One thing I also wanted to make sure that this subcommittee is familiar with is the differences that exist between gathering pipelines and transmission pipelines not only physically but commercially.

“It’s important to remember that the interstate pipelines are subject to regulated rates with uniform tariffs while gathering pipelines are subject to market-based negotiated compensation and negotiated commercial terms.”

Pfluger asked Miller about the importance of the federal Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee’s having frequent meetings to ensure the participation of stakeholders and to help the PHMSA regulate.

“We really appreciate the GPAC process,” she said. “We think it helps bring more informed regulation, which therefore is more likely to be implementable.

“And we want to encourage the GPAC to include more insights from gathering operators because PHMSA is more often regulating gathering now.”

Miller said her group is concerned with heating, electricity production, transportation, steelmaking, fertilizer production, plastics, high-tech devices, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and more.

“The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. production and consumption of natural gas and petroleum including natural gas liquids will remain strong at least through 2050,” she said. “Similarly Rice University’s Baker Institute projects that natural gas and crude oil will sustain a steady share of the global energy mix through 2050.

“That is to say it remains essential to continue our focus on pipeline safety for existing and new pipeline infrastructure to assure that we can meet energy demands in the U.S. and around the world.”

The congressman asked Moriarty if there is any realistic path to a reliable grid without natural gas playing a role as the backbone.

“No, there is not,” Moriarty said.

“Would you agree that if we’re going to meet the rising demand while also keeping the lights on, we need to get serious about modernizing and expanding our natural gas infrastructure?” Pfluger asked.

“I would agree with that natural gas pipelines are the safest way to move the energy that this nation needs and there’s ever more demand for energy across our service territories,” said Moriarty, whose company is based in Dover, Del. “To meet those demands we need to construct and safely operate pipelines as well as LNG storage facilities.”

He said navigating a complex mix of federal, state and local regulations can hinder or limit the delivery of energy and pipeline infrastructure expansion.

“Delays and costs associated with complex regulations that arise from a non-uniform patchwork approach severely hinder the industry’s ability to meet the growing needs of critical infrastructure sectors,” Moriarty said. “Streamlined regulatory processes, timely PHMSA application approvals and efficient permitting of pipeline infrastructure are essential to expanding natural gas distribution and meeting the growing energy demand nationwide.”