Upon taking the role as president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) in 2003, Don Santa made it his goal for the association to become a more effective industry advocate.
"In my role as head of INGAA, I'm the principal spokesman in Washington for this segment of the natural gas industry," said Santa. "I'm responsible for translating our members' strategic priorities into effective advocacy before the federal government. I'm responsible for ensuring that we have a well-qualified, professional staff who works together and draws on the technical expertise of our member companies to achieve positive results for the natural gas pipeline industry."
Drawing upon his knowledge and experience from roles as the former commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), counsel to a congressional committee and an executive at LG&E Energy Corp., Santa oversees an organization that advocates on behalf of the industry on a broad range of topics.
Santa noted since the decontrol of natural gas prices in the 1980s and 1990s, INGAA's advocacy role has evolved to include more than just rate, pipeline safety and environmental regulations. No longer does advocacy only involve technical discussions with industry regulators and policymakers.
"Our role has expanded beyond traditional regulatory advocacy because natural gas and the pipelines that transport natural gas are now much bigger parts of the national energy conversation," he said. "The abundance and affordability of natural gas made possible by the shale revolution have greatly raised the profile of natural gas. Therefore, INGAA now finds itself representing the pipeline industry in a much broader energy, environmental and economic dialogue."
One of INGAA's greatest successes has been its ability to adapt and be proactive in response to challenges, Santa said. For example, after a fatal 2010 pipeline failure in San Bruno, California, the industry faced public doubt about the safety of pipelines. Instead of waiting for legal or regulatory action following the event, INGAA's board of directors decided to move forward with action and response.
"Our board of directors adopted voluntary commitments to pipeline safety improvements that exceeded the then-existing regulatory requirements," Santa explained. "These commitments were made material in the Integrity Management Continuous Improvement program that INGAA has developed and implemented."
This program has helped guide the creation of new pipeline safety laws written in Congress and new regulations being developed by the Department of Transportation. Since then, INGAA has continued to be proactive with every new challenge.
Around a decade ago, the natural gas and pipeline industry faced the possibility of a regulatory response on interstate pipeline natural gas quality and interchangeability that would have created a "one-size-fits-all" approach, Santa said. INGAA and other industry stakeholders worked together to produce a white paper that analyzed the situation. In turn, FERC issued a policy statement offering guidance for a pipeline-specific response to the issue at hand.
Santa said in situations like this, the entire natural gas industry collaborating in the promotion and protection of natural gas interests is more important than ever. INGAA's members own and operate natural gas pipelines, but INGAA's voice of advocacy does not benefit just that industry segment.
"INGAA represents one of several segments of the natural gas industry, and often we are limited in the resources we can bring to bear on an issue," he said. "We can be much more effective if we find common ground with others and work together in a common cause."
For more information, visit www. ingaa.org or call (202) 216-5900