Bill Text: WV HR7 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging federal policymakers to support legislation advancing the development of an Appalachian Storage Hub
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 9-2)
Status: (Passed) 2018-02-28 - Completed legislative action [HR7 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2018-HR7-Introduced.html
HOUSE RESOLUTION 7
(By Delegates Kelly, Anderson, Higginbotham, Hollen, Deem, Criss, Pethtel, Harshbarger, Storch, Zatezalo and Miley)
[Introduced February 7, 2018; Referred to the Committee on Energy then Rules]
Requesting West Virginia leaders urge federal policymakers to support the identified legislation and other bills, resolutions, or policies advancing the development of an Appalachian Storage Hub.
Whereas, The Appalachian region, defined here as Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, contains world-class supplies of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) that contribute to the nation’s energy dominance; and
Whereas, Harnessing those supplies by constructing an Appalachian Storage Hub constitutes a major infrastructure (storage caverns and pipelines) investment and jobs program for residents of the Appalachian region; and
Whereas, Natural gas liquids are the major feedstock of the chemical industry and the region contains enough feedstock to attract $35 billion in new chemical and plastics industry investment; and
Whereas, Chemical and plastic industry investments of this scale could create 100,000 new jobs, $28 billion in new economic output, more than $6 billion in annual payroll, and nearly $3 billion a year in new federal, state, and local tax revenue; and
Whereas, A petrochemical feedstock storage hub located in the heart of Appalachia could support major energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing job creation opportunities; and
Whereas, Supporting the “Appalachian Energy and Manufacturing Infrastructure Revitalization Act - S. 1340” would improve the infrastructure permitting process by directing the secretaries of Energy and Commerce to approve the project as an Appalachian ethane storage hub, identify the lead federal and state agency liaisons, and coordinate with them on designating the project; and
Whereas, S. 1340 directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider relevant licenses and permits for the requisite pipeline infrastructure, and then requires the other federal agencies to complete consideration of their respective permits within 60 days of the completion of the FERC licensing or have their jurisdictional permits deemed approved; and
Whereas, Supporting the “Capitalizing on American Storage Potential (CASP) Act - H.R. 3143/S.1337” would make a regional NGL storage hub eligible for the Department of Energy’s successful Title XVII loan guarantee program; and
Whereas, Supporting the “Appalachian Ethane Storage Hub Study Act of 2017- S. 1075/ H.R. 2568” would help assess the feasibility and potential benefits of establishing a subterranean ethane storage and distribution hub in central Appalachia; and
Whereas, The Appalachian Storage Hub may be a beneficiary of a Department of Energy loan guarantee and Congress should renew its support for and fully fund the Department of Energy’s highly successful Loan Programs Office; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the State of West Virginia urges federal policymakers to support the identified legislation and other bills, resolutions, or policies advancing the development of an Appalachian Storage Hub; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the West Virginia House of Delegates is hereby requested to distribute a copy of this resolution to the President, congressional members from West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the U.S. Secretary of Energy.
