[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 712 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 712

To provide for a study by the National Academy of Sciences to determine 
  the causes of recent increases in the price of natural gas, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2001

  Mr. Thompson of California (for himself, Mr. Honda, Mr. Matsui, Mr. 
Baca, Mr. Condit, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Farr of California, Mr. Filner, Mr. 
Hunter, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Solis) introduced the following bill; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a study by the National Academy of Sciences to determine 
  the causes of recent increases in the price of natural gas, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY OF NATURAL GAS RESERVE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) In the last few months, natural gas prices across the 
        country have tripled.
            (2) In California, natural gas prices have increased 
        twenty-fold, from $3 per million British thermal units to 
        nearly $60 per million British thermal units.
            (3) One of the major causes of these price increases is a 
        lack of supply, including a lack of natural gas reserves.
            (4) The lack of a reserve was compounded by the rupture of 
        an El Paso Natural Gas Company pipeline in Carlsbad, New Mexico 
        on August 1, 2000.
            (5) Improving pipeline safety will help prevent similar 
        accidents that interrupt the supply of natural gas and will 
        help save lives.
            (6) It is also necessary to find solutions of the lack of 
        natural gas reserves that could be used during emergencies.
    (b) Study by the National Academy of Sciences.--The Secretary of 
Energy shall request the National Academy of Sciences to--
            (1) conduct a study to--
                    (A) determine the causes of recent increases in the 
                price of natural gas, including whether the increases 
                have been caused by problems with the supply of natural 
                gas or by problems with the natural gas transmission 
                system;
                    (B) identify any Federal or State policies that may 
                have contributed to the price increases; and
                    (C) determine what Federal action would be 
                necessary to improve the reserve supply of natural gas 
                for use in situations of natural gas shortages and 
                price increases, including determining the feasibility 
                and advisability of a federal strategic natural gas 
                reserve system; and
            (2) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, submit to Congress a report on the results of the 
        study.
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