The results of a survey conducted by Black & Veatch reveal the midstream sector’s concern over market and regulatory uncertainty and its impact on growth. More than 70% of midstream value chain participants said those two factors would be the most important issues facing the pipeline industry in the next 10 to 15 years. The respondents expressed their preferences for policies that promote stable cash flow, provide greater flexibility to recover large one-time costs and allow for market-responsive return on equity, among others. Despite these and other concerns, more than 95% of all participants (including those from the upstream and downstream sectors) said they are either “optimistic” or “very optimistic” about future growth in the American natural gas industry between now and 2030.
