Congressman Tom Latham says the nation’s natural gas delivery system needs to be updated. Latham says the infrastructure is a “hodge-podge” that creates “bottlenecks” which lead to regional shortages. Latham says there’s an adequate supply of natural gas available, if lawmakers are able to grant exploration rights in new areas and modernize the delivery system. Latham held a hearing at Iowa State University in Ames today, asking Iowans for suggestions for resolving the country’s looming natural gas crisis, as experts predict prices will double this winter.Latham says some who testified called for increasing the federal money in the program which supplies money to poor and elderly Americans who find it difficult to pay their utility bills. Latham says there’s also a need to focus on conservation, and weatherization But Latham says in the long-term, there’s a need to ensure the system for “bringing the gas in” works better. Latham says there are storage problems, as natural gas storage facilities are “at their limit.” This summer, the Speaker of the House appointed Latham to a task force that’s developing legislation to respond to the natural gas crisis.
