Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Nat. Resour. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5493509

MacAvoy, P W

The Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) of 1978 is a complex legislative effort for ensuring equitable supplies through deregulation. Natural-gas-supply conditions are described as they existed prior to 1978 to show how production shortages have developed and the effects of previous efforts to regulate prices and production. The NGPA's economic intentions are found to be so unclear that further shortages with a price increase of six percent in the residential sector and nine percent for commercal and industrial buyers can be forecast. Congress may have expected excess gas demand to spill onto other fuel markets and cause industrial users to shift to petroleum, thereby institutionalizing the gas shortages. Changes taking place in the gas and energy industries and the effects of low residential gas prices show this plan to be in error. Congressional intent is revealed as political rather than an effort to achieve equity and efficiency. (DCK)

• Research Organization: Yale Univ., New Haven, CT
• OSTI ID: 5493509
• Journal Information: Nat. Resour. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Nat. Resour. J.; (United States) Vol. 19:4; ISSN NRJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030600 -- Natural Gas-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
294003* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
DEREGULATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SHORTAGES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
FLUIDS
FORECASTING
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LAWS
LEGISLATION
NATIONAL ENERGY ACT
NATURAL GAS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
PRICES