Senate Hearing on High Gas Prices Dec. 12

Senate Calls for Hearing into High Gas Prices

There appears to be one issue that Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill
can agree on --- gas prices are too high. Chairman Frank H. Murkowski (R-AK)
of the Senate Energy Committee and Ranking Minority Member Jeff Bingaman
(D-NM) have called for an oversight hearing to look into rising natural gas
prices.

The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 12 in Senate Dirksen 366.
Appearing before the committee will be representatives of the gas industry
and the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration.

"Spot prices for natural gas on Dec. 6 hit $9.54/MMBtu. That compares to a
price a year ago of about $2.16/Btu," said Murkowski. "We are concerned about
both price and availability of supply as we move into the winter months."