center for partnerships & innovation

Energy Generation

Natural Gas

The nation's natural gas infrastructure transports gas to homes, buildings, industrial customers, and utilities for use in heating and electric power. Public utility commissions are responsible for assuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the natural gas distribution network.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and NARUC established a Natural Gas Infrastructure Modernization Partnership (NGIMP) as a cooperative effort to understand emerging technologies and regulatory options for improving commission oversight of natural gas utilities. The NGIMP convened state regulators, federal agencies, and other natural gas stakeholders to learn more about emerging technologies pertaining to critically important issues around enhancing infrastructure and pipeline safety. A particular focus is on natural gas pipeline leak detection and measurement tools, and learning about new technologies and cost-effective practices for enhancing pipeline safety, reliability, efficiency, and deliverability.

As of July 1, 2020, NARUC and the DOE launched a new Natural Gas Partnership (NGP) to replace the NGIMP. The NGP continues the NGIMP's work on leak detection and infrastructure modernization and broadens NARUC's focus to a broad range of issues relating to natural gas regulation. 

NGP activities are closely coordinated with the NARUC Committee on Gas