Agenda – 2021

Echols, an 11-year elected regulator in Georgia, talks about why natural gas is a superior fuel for generating electricity. He explains why states that are banning methane are making a huge mistake and hurting both ratepayers and resiliency. Echols is all-in on RNG and will explain why the time is right for gas companies to make the investments needed to harness RNG and its many sources. Finally, Echols shares his personal experience in driving a CNG Honda for his first two years in office and the range anxiety he suffered from it.

This presentation will address the legislative and regulatory issues the direct use of natural gas is facing at the local, state and federal level as well as the impact of Storm Uri on public gas systems.

Following the Texas Power Grid crash in February, we saw a Texas-sized shoot out of finger pointing. There is a disconnect in the narrative on energy: reality vs. aspiration, resilience vs. fragility. This presentation provides a factual account of what led up to the power grid failures and the reality of why natural gas is the only practical solution to avoid recurrence.

Investor-owned utilities are under increasing pressure by investors to be more environmentally-friendly, sustainable, and ‘green’. Electric utilities offer ‘renewable’ solar and wind products to rate-payers; however most natural gas utilities aren’t offering similar products. Environmentally sensitive PUCs and environment groups are looking to LDCs to provide a ‘green’ solution. This session provides insights to regulatory and legislative drivers behind renewable natural gas and outlines solutions LDCs can implement to offer renewable products to end-users or reduce CO2 emissions. Different types of RNG will be explained, domestic/global demand overviews provided, supply outlook and price-points discussed, and ways LDCs can participate in the RNG market.

Expectations coming into winter of last year were for US natural gas supply to see declines through the winter and into 1H 2021 as reduced activity in the basins took its toll. The reality turned out to be yet another testament to how robust natural gas production truly is in the US. We will walk through some of the factors that lead to the stickiness of production along with key themes to watch going forward that will influence the rate of future growth.

This panel will identify practical realities of the latest opportunities and threats facing end users of natural gas, including accommodating increasing share of renewables, resiliency concerns and solutions and local municipal natural gas bans. The discussion will include perspectives from various industry value chain segments, including end user, utility, marketer as well as industry association.

Discussion of market fundamentals including supply/demand dynamics, recent past performance, inter-basin supply competition, demand projections (domestic, export), evolving flow patterns, domestic and global price implications, as well as policy and public influences. Will include particular focus on expectations for post-Pandemic demand recovery. Impact of weather will be addressed including long-range forecasting and hurricane activity. Also discussion on use of new technologies to streamline transactions across the value chain.

Discussion of market fundamentals including supply/demand dynamics, recent past performance, inter-basin supply competition, demand projections (domestic, export), evolving flow patterns, domestic and global price implications, as well as policy and public influences. Will include particular focus on expectations for post-Pandemic demand recovery. Impact of weather will be addressed including long-range forecasting and hurricane activity. Also discussion on use of new technologies to streamline transactions across the value chain.

ESG and low carbon footprint requirements are demanding creativity in delivery of energy to markets. This panel explores novel new business applications and technologies that offer to complement the traditional natural gas value chain. The range of business and cost-saving applications to be explored includes non-pipeline alternatives (NPAs), micro-LNG, peak-shaving LNG, CNG, pipeline energy recovery (PERTM), and we will even explore GreenERTM Hydrogen as it relates to the natural gas business. Includes case studies and relevant metrics.

Executives from New Energy Development Company LLC (New EnergyTM), CB&I Storage Solutions, a business unit of McDermott International, and Greenville Utilities Commission will review the utility’s supply history and 20-year expansion plan. New EnergyTM, CB&I, and Greenville Utilities will highlight their gas and LNG supply, infrastructure plan, and their deployment of associated LNG applications and technologies. Discussions will include the utilization of patent pending New EnergyTM GreenERTM LNG engineering design, also applicable to green hydrogen.

•New EnergyTM will discuss the application of its newly patent pending designs and GreenERTM LNG & hydrogen configurations which provide its clients low cost, safe, and reliable energy solutions. New EnergyTM will also review its recently finalized engineering designs introducing two planned 50-MW GreenERTM hydrogen production facilities. (https://www.newenergydev.com/hydrogenlngarticles).
•CB&I Storage Solutions, a business unit of McDermott, will discuss its successful history in peak shaving LNG and leading role in hydrogen, as well as its strategic EPC partnership with New EnergyTM.
•Greenville Utilities Commission, a client of New EnergyTM, will discuss its distinguished energy history, interesting LNG supply plan evolution, and its 20-year forward LNG plan to meet its growing natural gas customer and volume base.
•Together, these executives will discuss the evolution of Greenville Utilities ESG efforts, New EnergyTM patent pending GreenERTM LNG design, and CB&I’s Storage Solutions EPC project delivery model. Each executive will share how they will help ensure Greenville Utilities Commission -- and other gas utilities and pipelines -- can safely and effectively meet their energy and ESG goals.

Panel of Gas Buyer's from market regions across the continent share perspectives on purchasing expectations, solution alternatives, as well as outlooks on market conditions and policy implications.
1.Do you see current commodity pricing continuing at current levels? Are you employing hedging strategies to lock in current prices?
2.Did the President’s Day Weekend weather events result in any changes to your company’s gas purchasing strategy or risk management process?
3.With many oil & gas producers struggling in the current environment, have you made changes to your gas supplier line up?
4.Has increasing difficulty in completing pipeline expansion projects affected your strategy around supply sourcing?
5.What expectations does your company have for suppliers (producers/marketers) to develop new product offerings incorporating a lower carbon footprint (e.g. carbon offsets, carbon capture, RNG, etc.) Are the renewable percentage targets being imposed by various lawmakers practically achievable? What will the price impact be on ratepayers?
6.Considering renewables and ESG policies, how are these affecting your purchasing strategies?
7.Have your company’s greenhouse gas emission goals affected your natural gas purchasing strategy?
8.Does your company plan to make purchases of renewable natural gas? If so, is there a specific strategy regarding management of the price premium?
9.Does your company plan to make purchases of low methane emission intensity geologic production? If so, what is your strategy regarding certification?
10.Are you concerned with the legislative push in some states for 100% renewable energy in the near future?
11.Do you anticipate local lawmakers adopting bans on new nat gas connections? If so, how will your company respond?