05 LC
14 9024/AP
House
Resolution 92 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Burkhalter of the
50th,
Lewis of the
15th,
and Forster of the
3rd
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint House and Senate LNG and Natural Gas Infrastructure Study Committee;
and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the demand for natural gas in the United States is forecast to increase
significantly with all sectors of the economy, including residential,
commercial, industrial, and power generation, contributing to the growth;
and
WHEREAS,
clean burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) will play an increasingly significant
role in meeting that demand; and
WHEREAS,
LNG facilities have historically been used to meet the peak demand for natural
gas in Georgia on the coldest days of the year; and
WHEREAS,
the majority of the natural gas supply serving Georgia throughout the year has
been transported from the Gulf of Mexico; and
WHEREAS,
imported LNG is becoming an economically viable natural gas supply option;
and
WHEREAS,
most imported LNG to the United States comes from Trinidad and Tobago, Qatar,
Algeria, Nigeria, Australia, and Indonesia and is transported in large, modern
tankers to one of four United States import terminals, including a facility at
Elba Island, Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
upon reaching its destination, imported LNG is turned back into a gas and sent
out through natural gas pipelines as ordinary natural gas; and
WHEREAS,
the availability of imported LNG to the Elba Island LNG facility off the coast
of Georgia could provide additional supply reliability and supply diversity to
Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
increased diversity of natural gas supply to Georgia offsetting part of the need
for Gulf of Mexico supply will help to stabilize or lower the price for natural
gas and help to create a favorable energy market for Georgia consumers;
and
WHEREAS,
a favorable energy market in Georgia will aid economic development, help to
attract new jobs to Georgia, and help to secure existing jobs; and
WHEREAS,
for the full benefits of LNG to be realized in Georgia, additional investment in
natural gas infrastructure, including pipelines, storage facilities, and
additional LNG terminals or facilities, is required; and
WHEREAS,
accordingly, such investment in LNG and the necessary natural gas infrastructure
should be encouraged, and any disincentives to such investments contained in
current statutes, existing rules or regulations, or policies should be
eliminated.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY that there is created the
Joint House and Senate LNG and Natural Gas Infrastructure Study Committee to be
composed of five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and five members of the Senate to be
appointed by the Senate Committee on Assignments. The Speaker of the House shall
designate a member of the committee as cochairperson of the committee, and the
Senate Committee on Assignments shall designate a member of the committee as
cochairperson of the committee. The cochairpersons shall call all meetings of
the committee. The cochairpersons may appoint one or more advisory committees
composed of nonmembers of the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions,
needs, issues, challenges, and opportunities mentioned above or related thereto and shall develop and recommend legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate to address such issues. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall receive the same for not more than five days unless additional days are authorized. The members of any advisory committee shall serve without compensation. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2005. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2005.
needs, issues, challenges, and opportunities mentioned above or related thereto and shall develop and recommend legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate to address such issues. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall receive the same for not more than five days unless additional days are authorized. The members of any advisory committee shall serve without compensation. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2005. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2005.