§3392 Natural gas for essential industrial process and feedstock uses

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must create a rule saying that, as far as possible, interstate pipelines cannot cut off natural gas used for essential industrial processes or as feedstock, except when subsection (b) allows it. Cuts are only allowed if they do not drop deliveries below the required amount the Secretary sets under subsection (c), or if they are needed to serve high-priority users, or if they are needed to serve certain essential agricultural uses with curtailment priority under section 3391. The rule in subsection (a) only applies when the Commission finds that switching to a non-natural gas fuel is not economically practical and no other fuel is reasonably available. The Secretary must tell the Commission the gas needs (in volumes or percentages) of people or groups for these essential industrial or feedstock uses (except those in section 3391(f)(1)(B)). "Essential industrial process or feedstock use" means any industrial or feedstock use the Secretary decides is essential, and "high-priority user" is defined in section 3391(f)(2).