Gas Industry Wary As US Lawmakers Debate Carbon Controls

摘要

Cap-and-trade legislation could hold some surprises — good and bad alike — for the US gas sector. Lawmakers remain undecided on whether upstream gas producers and/or processors should be the target of emission certificate requirements, as proposed in last year's legislative discussions, or if downstream local distribution companies should be the ones to purchase allowances, as gas producers are hoping. Either way, carbon policies could increase gas demand during the first decade or two of implementation, while also amplifying exploration and production costs in step with increased carbon costs, according to a number of government and private sector analyses.