Economic

Case Studies

Political Advocacy in Canada
The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty & Job Creation Act of 2011
Congressman Roe Visits the Northeastern Tennessee (NET) Project

Attention to Political Advocacy & Accountability

Spectra Energy participates in the democratic process while adhering to all applicable laws in Canada and the United States. We focus on communication and education about the benefits of natural gas. We continue to solidify our position as Advisor of Choice, providing leadership in numerous business and industry forums to address the energy policy issues and regulations that may affect our industry, our company and our stakeholders. Spectra Energy also participates in various trade associations through membership, leadership positions and participation on committees.

At Spectra Energy, we advocate for natural gas and related infrastructure by lending our collective voice, resources, knowledge and influence to encourage understanding and appreciation for the important role natural gas will play in achieving North America’s energy, environmental and economic goals – and to spur positive policy and action toward that end.

Our natural gas advocacy priorities include: pipeline safety, the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas and the contribution of natural gas to North American energy security.

Safe operations, both within our company and across our sector, are fundamental to the public’s understanding of natural gas as a viable, valued resource. The safety of North America’s natural gas pipeline system represents a primary priority for our industry, and therefore, we invest much of our advocacy efforts around safety-related issues. We have advocated for reauthorization of what is commonly called the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act, which was signed into law in early January 2012, and for the Ontario One Call Act, which would make mandatory for all utility asset owners and excavators to use a single call system to locate all underground utility lines before digging.

We also are keenly focused on communicating the benefits that our industry brings to the economy and to the community through job creation, contributions to the tax base, and by connecting new supplies of an affordable and proven energy source to markets, including the growing power and manufacturing sectors. We advocate for a level playing field that does not disadvantage natural gas or unfairly advantage other fuels, streamlined regulatory reviews and equitable tax policies that encourage infrastructure investment and development.

We emphasize the environmental advantages of natural gas as the cleanest-burning conventional fuel, a key contributor to reducing the carbon intensity of North America’s economy, and as a reliable partner fuel for renewable energy. Natural Gas is an essential partner to the development of renewable energy sources providing clean and reliable power.

Political Advocacy in Canada

As part of the company’s Advisor of Choice goals, Western Canada Transmission and Processing has focused on building awareness among external stakeholders of the role of natural gas as a key economic driver. We reached out to government stakeholders in British Columbia, highlighting opportunities for natural gas in the province’s energy policy. We focused on three key opportunities – increased use of natural gas to generate economic and reliable electricity; export of natural gas to new markets in Asia due to market diversification; and natural gas as a transportation fuel in large fleets and return-to-base vehicles. The company was pleased to see all of these elements reflected in the B.C. government’s February 2012 Natural Gas and LNG strategies.

The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty & Job Creation Act of 2011

In January 2012, “The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011” was signed into law. This legislation represents a balanced, bipartisan accomplishment that will maintain and improve the safety of natural gas pipelines and bolster public confidence in our nation’s natural gas pipeline system. The legislation reflected input from a broad range of stakeholders, including Spectra Energy, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), and the American Gas Association (AGA).

Congressman Roe Visits the Northeastern Tennessee (NET) Project

At Spectra Energy, we believe in educating stakeholders about our projects. In July 2011, we provided a tour of the Northeastern Tennessee (NET) Project to Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-1) and his district director. We gave them an up-close and personal look at the NET project – an expansion of the East Tennessee Natural Gas Pipeline (ETNG). NET currently delivers 150,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas through a new 8.5-mile, 24-inch extension from the Flatwoods compressor station to a new Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) natural gas power plant.

The tour, which also featured a visit to the TVA plant, presented a great boots-on-the-ground opportunity for the congressman and his staff to better understand our construction procedures. In addition, the tour afforded us the opportunity to highlight our safety procedures, the economic impact of our project, the environmental benefits of natural gas electric power generation, the importance of timely permitting, and our approach to stakeholder outreach.