SGA Fall Leadership Conference

Oct. 13-15, 2008

Loews Hotel - New Orleans LA

Preliminary Information.  Check back later for details and registration

Questions?  Contact  Patrick Downey   (972) 620-4026

Roundtable Sessions - (at this time,  links will take you to last years agendas for reference)

• Rates and Regulatory Affairs
• Tax
• Gas Forecasters Forum
• Gas Transportation
• Communications / Public Affairs

Who Should Attend:
Professionals from Communications;  Public Affairs; Gas Forecasting; Gas Transportation; Government Relations; Rates and Regulatory Affairs; and Tax.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE:

Mon. Oct. 13:   Noon             Conference golf tournament

                          6:30 pm.        Welcome to New Orleans Reception

Tues. Oct. 14: 8:00 - 4:30    Opening general session, roundtable & joint sessions; lunch

                          6:00 p.m.      Conference Reception

Wed. Oct. 15   8:00 - Noon  Breakfast, roundtables & joint sessions

                                                 Adjourn

Event Sponsorships:  Contact Pat Downey for details)

Vendor Exhibits:  A limited number of table top exhibits are available.  All include one full conference registration.  Details

available soon.

Registration: (not yet available)

$545 (SGA member company employees) includes materials, continental breakfasts, lunch, receptions, and refreshment breaks. ($745 non-members).  Golf fee - $150. (FEES SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Hotel

Loews New Orleans, 300 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Phone: (504) 595-3300
Reservations:  Call 1-866-211-6411 and request the Southern Gas Association rate of $179. 

Cutoff date:  Sept. 19. 

Transportation Options  To/From New Orleans Airport:
Taxi:
Approximately $30-35 dollars one way (to/from airport)

2007 Topics:
Keynote Speakers and Topics:

• FERC Hot Button Issues and Priorities - Rob Cupina, FERC Deputy Director
• Energy Issues and the 110th Congress - Tom Moskitis, American Gas Association
• They Aren't Making Any More Boomers: Managing the Workforce Crisis - Tom Trively, SCANA
• Gas Supply and Pricing;  LNG and Alternative Fuels - Bob Linden, PACE
• Whose Carbon Is It Anyway? An Update on Climate Change Initiatives: - Thomas Hutchins, El Paso Corp.
• Revenue Decoupling Tariffs

Rate/Regulatory Roundtable Topics

Pipeline Topics:

• Commission policy on tariff waivers & discretionary tariff language
• FERC Audits (ACA, others)
• Form 2 revisions
• ROE (Kern River, other)
• MLP Income Tax Issues
• Section 5 proceedings
• Capital Spending/Trackers
• SOC
• eTariffs

  LDC Topics:

• Increase in rate case activities
• State government initiatives to supplement LIHEAP in light of high natural gas prices
• Revenue Decoupling mechanisms - trends, success stories
• Inter-company allocation treatment
• Governmental action/reaction to high natural gas prices
• Trackers/ Regulatory initiatives dealing with cost recovery outside rate cases
• Recovery of revenue lost through conservation efforts 
• Innovative rate designs
• Impact of WNA riders on allowed Return on Equity
• Declining use per customer
• Implementation of FIN 47 - any regulatory issues?

Communications/Public Affairs:

• Green programs
• ROW clearing scenario - panel discussion on clearing/encroachment/eminent domain
• Industry Image and Messaging Initiatives, including the 8-1-1 program
• Research on natural gas industry image

Gas Forecasters Forum:

• An Economic Analysis of Consumer Response to Natural Gas Prices

  David Shin, Chief Economist, American Gas Association (with Bob Trost & Fred Joutz, Professors of Economics, George Washington University)

• Customer Attrition and Growth Forecasting

           Bill Gresham, Manager of Forecasting, NiSource Energy Distribution

• 2007-2008 Winter Weather Forecast

  Jeff Johnson, Chief Science Officer, DTN/Meteorologix, Inc                                          

• Forecasting Gas Consumption Trends - Jim Fay, Gas Operations Alliance

• Research Update: The Heck-with-it Hook and Other Observations

  Ronald Brown, Ph.D., Marquette University

• What’s New in Short-Term Forecasting Models?

Gas Transportation Topics:

• Aging Pipeline Infrastructure - How To Replace It
• Northeast Passage Expansion Project (TGP)
• Hydrocarbon Dewpoint/Gas Quality Issues
• Greenhouse Gas and it's Impact to the Energy Industry

Tax Roundtable - Click here for discussion topics

2007 Conference Planning Committee:

Blair Lichtenwalter, Transwestern Pipeline           Jim Cagle, Atmos Energy

Terri Larson, Fleishmann-Hillard                             Bill Gresham, NiSource Energy Distribution

Kelly Merritt, Columbia Gulf Transmission             Beverley Hatcher, Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Jim Fay, Gas Operations Alliance                            Fred Monger, Atmos Energy

Jack Dunham, PG&E                                                  Mike Stoll, Mississippi River Transmission.

Pat Downey, SGA                                                         Larry Farthing, SGA

Questions?
Call SGA at (972) 620-8505 and speak with Pat Downey pdowney@southerngas.org.

For Gas Transportation or Communications/Public Affairs, contact Larry Farthing lfarthing@southerngas.org

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