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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
Address1 | 400 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW |
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City | WASHINGTON |
State | DC |
Zip Code | 20001 |
Country | USA |
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5. Senate ID# 2445-12
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6. House ID# 310160000
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TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2016 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
Signature | Digitally Signed By: Michael L. Murray |
Date | 1/19/2017 10:55:55 AM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code AGR
16. Specific lobbying issues
CFTC administrative procedure and judicial review reform; judicial review of CFTC regulations and the applicable APA review.
Dodd-Frank end-users record keeping reform. Commodity end user reform.
These issues arose in:
H.R.2289 - Commodity End-User Relief Act
S. 2917 - Commodity End-User Relief Act
This legislation would reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Language in both bill clarifies that commodity end-users, including gas utilities, are not treated as financial entities for the purpose of Dodd-Frank financial recordkeeping rules. More specifically, the legislation clarifies that physical natural gas contracts with delivery optionality are not treated the same as sophisticated derivatives trading or swaps. The bill also includes AGA supported language that would subject CFTC decision-making to standard administrative procedures and judicial review proceedings (note: The Senate version does not include administrative procedures reform).
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BUD
16. Specific lobbying issues
Labor-HHS Appropriations Legislation
AGA and allied organizations support adequate funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program is fully authorized at $5.1 billion, however, for the past several years it has not been funded above $3.4 billion. The industry, and many on Capitol Hill, are asking for $4.7 billion in program funds for FY2017. To date, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $3.39 billion in LIHEAP funding. In the House, the Labor-HHS Subcommittee approved $3.49 billion in funding - $100 million more than the FY16 LIHEAP budget and the Senates proposed FY17 funding number.
Advocated for appropriations for research and development to improve natural gas technologies and natural gas vehicles.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code ENG
16. Specific lobbying issues
Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities in any legislation considered by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee regarding energy and climate legislation affecting natural gas utilities, including efficiency mandates and NGV Market Development. These issues arose in all of the following:
S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015
H.R.8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015
S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015
This bill is also known as the Senate energy bill.
AGA is supportive of the bill because it includes a provision that would repeal the ban on fossil fuel-generated energy use in Federal buildings; a provision that clarifies that the term of a utility energy service contract (UESCs) can extend beyond 10 years, but not exceed 25 years, correcting a belief within DOD that contracts with UESCs can only be up to 10 years; a provision that would allow multiple rating systems, such as the source-based Green Globes certification program, to be adopted by the Federal government; and a provision that would provide methane hydrate research and development.
H.R. 8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015
This bill is also known as the House energy bill.
This bill includes a provision that would repeal Section 433, the ban on fossil fuel-generated energy for federal buildings and replace it with energy efficiency provisions and a provision that would require any DOE supported proposal code or code change proposal to have a simple payback of 10 years or less, require DOE to publish all calculations, methodologies and code change proposals and accept public comments and prohibit DOE from advocating on behalf of certain products or technologies.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code HOM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Support Cybersecurity bills that have a public-private partnership (no top-down regulatory process); public-private information sharing; liability protections for information sharing; federal R&D support; and appropriate criminal penalties for bad actors. These issues arose in:
H.R.1770 - Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015
H.R.2205 - Data Security Act of 2015. Legislation to set standards for identifying, reporting, and responding to data breaches, and the resulting exfiltration of sensitive personal and financial data, caused by illegal hacking. Primary industry concern is that this legislation not morph into a prescriptive cybersecurity standardization program.
H.R.4651 / S.2604 Digital Security Commission Act of 2016. Legislation that would create a commission to study and make recommendations on digital security matters, particularly in the area of encrypted communications and related security equipment. Our primary concern is that the Commission should not end up advocating specific security technologies or practices and that the unique needs of critical infrastructure entities, like gas utilities, are considered as part of the process.
S. 2684 - UAVs for Energy Infrastructure Act. This bill would require the FAA to establish a process by which owners and operators of crucial infrastructure may incorporate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into their regulatory compliance, safety, emergency response, and operational activities. Unmanned aerial vehicles are a new technology that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our public safety and system reliability efforts. Moreover in exigent circumstances such as natural disasters or security related events, UAVs will allow for faster response, while providing a persistence capacity that will aid personnel in assessing dangerous situations.
H.R. 5390 -Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Agency Act of 2016. This legislation would create a separate entity within DHS that handles cybersecurity matters. Proponents claim that this guarantees that cybersecurity responsibility is not watered down within different subsets of DHS. Detractors claim the opposite, that this bill stovepipes cybersecurity activities. AGA is interested in making sure that the DHS security mission remains comprehensive and its interactions with industry remain useful. Confusion about roles and responsibilities at DHS can ultimately impact industry security. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is preparing similar draft legislation.
Encryption Legislation
The Senate Intelligence Committee is in the final stages of drafting encryption legislation. This legislation will likely include procedures allowing law enforcement access to encrypted communications and equipment. Less clear is whether it will mandate specific cybersecurity technologies or practices and how all the above may impact gas utilities.
SAFETY Act Legislation
An industry coalition (AGA, APPA, EEI, NRECA) are pursuing a slight modification to the SAFETY Act, an existing law that provides liability protection in the aftermath of a successful terrorist attack for companies that employ SAFETY Act approved anti-terrorism technologies, policies and procedures. This modification would expand the law to specifically include cybersecurity equipment, policies, procedures, etc. House Homeland Security is expected to introduce legislation in the coming weeks.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TRA
16. Specific lobbying issues
Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities regarding pipeline safety legislation and any regulatory regime affecting natural gas utilities. Promote the development of the natural gas vehicle market by supporting various incentives.
Protect the Utility Service Vehicle exemption in SAFETEA-LU
Support incentives for expansion of natural-gas as transportation fuel and fueling stations.
Support incentives for natural gas vehicles.
Advocate for research and development of natural gas vehicle technologies.
Oppose the sale of natural gas by the Kilogram.
AGA advocated the issues related to the safe and environmentally sound transportation of natural gas, including, the design, installation, inspection, testing, construction, extension, operations, replacement and maintenance of pipeline facilities. These issues arose in: S2276: SAFE PIPES Act - Securing America's Future Energy: Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act. This bill would also reauthorize the Pipeline Safety Act for additional years.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TAX
16. Specific lobbying issues
Support lower rates on taxation of dividends.
Tax reform proposals.
Tax extenders.
Promote the development of the natural gas vehicle market by supporting various incentives.
Support incentives to produce biogas.
Support incentives for high efficiency natural gas furnaces, boilers and water heaters (25C tax credits).
Support incentives for energy efficiency buildings (179D).
Tax Credits: The carryover of excess corporate charitable contributions. This issue arose in H.R.4016 - to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the limitation on the carryover of excess corporate charitable contributions. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to increase the carryover period for charitable contributions from 5 years to 20 years. Increasing the 5 year carryover period to 20 years would eliminate the penalty present in current law that is particularly problematic for our companies, which operate in regulated industries and generally make significant annual charitable contributions to community charities in their operating jurisdictions. This issue is more acute for companies in our industries - regulated electric and gas utilities - because we are among the most capital intensive industries in the country. Each year, the electric and gas utilities are spending more than $100 billion in investments to improve system safety and reliability while offering an important source of much-needed, high-quality jobs.
Tax Credits: The investment tax credit for combined heat and power. This issue arose in H.R. 2657 - Power Efficiency and Resiliency Act (POWER Act) - to alter Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase and alter the investment tax credit for combined heat and power. This bill would amends Section 48 of the tax code to provide parity for combined heat and power (CHP) with other forms of energy. The bill would increase the investment tax credit for CHP from 10% to 30% and would apply to the first 25 MW of a project instead of the first 15MW.
Tax Parity: S. 1516 - Power Efficiency and Resiliency Act (POWER Act) This bill would amends Section 48 of the tax code to provide parity for combined heat and power (CHP) with other forms of energy. The bill would increase the investment tax credit for CHP from 10% to 30% and would apply to the first 25 MW of a project instead of the first 15MW.
Tax Credits: Combined Heat and Power, Fuel Cells and Microturbines Investment Tax Credit Extension Past 2016. At the end of 2015 connected to the omnibus spending and tax legislation, Congress passed a long term extension of both the production tax credit for wind and investment tax (ITC) credit for solar. Other technologies that have (and currently do through the end of 2016) qualified for these credits were not provided with extensions or modifications. Those technologies that did not receive an extension include fuel cells, geothermal, small wind energy, microturbines, and combined heat and power (CHP). Fuel cells, microturbines and CHP utilize natural gas as an energy source and are viewed as emerging markets for natural gas utilities. In order to avoid serious market disruption to and provide for short- to mid-term planning for still nascent industries, AGA is working to extend the tax credit this year.
Tax Parity: S. 2378 - Waterway LNG Parity Act of 2015. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the excise tax rate for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to equal 29 cents per gallon or the per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel in the case of liquefied natural gas, as defined by this Act. Currently, the fuel tax on liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels is the same as the diesel tax on a per-gallon basis. However, because a gallon of LNG contains less energy than a gallon of diesel, in effect LNG is taxed at 170 percent of the diesel tax rate.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code ENV
16. Specific lobbying issues
The impact of legislation on existing EPA regulations. These issues arose in all of the following: H.R. 2576 - TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 - legislation related to reforming the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA); S. 697 - Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act - legislation related to reforming the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
Draft legislation related to methane emissions from natural gas operating systems
H.R. 2576 - TSCA Modernization Act of 2015
The bill would reform the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). AGA has been engaged in the TSCA reform discussions in order to ensure that PCB preemption is maintained. The preemption protection afforded to the federal PCB regulations has been critical to ensure a uniformly protective program for the use and disposal of PCBs in electric and gas equipment, and has helped to promote the cost-effective and reliable provision of electric and gas services to hundreds of millions of residential, commercial, governmental, and industrial customers. The bill contains AGA-supported language that preserves preemption for PCBs.
S. 697 - Franke R Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
The bill would reform the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The bill contains AGA-supported language that preserves preemption for PCBs. It is important to note that AGA prefers the Senate TSCA bill over the House TSCA bill.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
George |
Lowe |
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Brian |
Caudill |
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Bree |
Raum |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address: https://www.aga.org/membercenter/membershipdirectory-links
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
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FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
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