ANGA Statement on Gov. Rick Perry's Signing of Texas Clean Transportation Triangle Legislation and the Texas Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure Bill into Law

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Background: ANGA President and CEO Regina Hopper issued the following statement on Texas Gov. Rick Perry's signing of two important pieces of legislation into law. Texas is the first state in the country to pass a bill, HB 3328, that requires public disclosure of the components of hydraulic fracturing fluids.  SB 20 creates the framework to establish a natural gas transportation corridor in the rapidly expanding Texas Triangle Megaregion, which consists of five of the nation's 20 largest cities: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

"We congratulate Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and the Texas legislature on leading the nation with these landmark laws. We applaud their forward-thinking provisions and the collaborative approach taken in their development.  Legislators across the aisle, the environmental community, natural gas companies and many other stakeholders worked tirelessly together to ensure both laws address the needs and concerns of the Texas community at large.

"We appreciate the leadership of Rep. Jim Keffer (R-Granbury), Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Ft. Worth), Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), and Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) on HB 3328.  The natural gas community's support of HB 3328 is a firm demonstration of our commitment to safe and responsible development and to the strong state-led oversight that exists to help ensure that natural gas development continues to occur in harmony with the needs of the local communities where we operate.

"We also extend congratulations to Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), Rep. Mark Strama (D-Austin) and House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio), on passage of SB 20. This first-of-its-kind legislation will help create a sustainable network of natural gas-refueling stations along the Texas Triangle, laying a foundation for wider-scale deployment of heavy-duty, mid- and light-duty natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the Texas market and making the transition to a lower cost, domestically produced, and cleaner fuel a more viable option for Texas businesses, cities and consumers.  

"An unprecedented consortium of more than 200 stakeholders has been engaged in the strategic plan, including fleet operators such as UPS and business groups such as the Houston NGV Alliance and the Metroplex NGV Consortium. They were joined by utilities, fuel suppliers such as Clean Energy Fuels Corp., natural gas producers, and universities.

"The Texas Triangle initiative will dramatically reduce emissions, the equivalent of removing 175,000 cars from Texas highways, and it will reduce reliance on overseas oil by displacing more than 41 million gallons of petroleum-diesel fuel over four years.

"States across our nation are struggling to find energy solutions that will help the environment, create jobs and boost economies. We encourage leaders to consider Texas as a model of how natural gas can play a growing role in advancing clean, domestic energy choices."

America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) represents 31 of North America's leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies. ANGA members are dedicated to increasing the appreciation of the environmental, economic and national security benefits of clean, abundant, American natural gas. Learn more about ANGA at www.anga.us

SOURCE America's Natural Gas Alliance