The APGA Research Foundation (RF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that serves as the “bank” for public gas systems to contribute and allocate voluntary dollars to research & development projects important to public gas customers. The RF identifies and prioritizes research projects and ensures that project deliverables are tracked and met. Those deliverables always include commercialization prospects, values and schedules.

Such R&D was supported by a federal mandatory R&D surcharge, in effect from the mid 1970’s to August 2004. This surcharge was collected by a utilities’ supplier as part of gas or transportation cost and remitted to the Gas Research Institute (GRI). GRI used those R&D dollars to support operational and end-use R&D having an 8 to 1 benefit-to-cost ratio. In it’s short life, the RF as steward of PGS voluntary contributions, has grown that benefit ratio by 250%, to 20 to 1.

The RF was created by vote of the Boards of APGA and the RF in February 2004. The RF is the sole entity serving the R&D needs of public gas systems and customers. The RF has over 150 voluntary system investors, including all systems that are part of the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, the National Public Gas Agency, the Florida Gas Utility and the Patriots Energy Group. Every RF investor has a voice in how their voluntary R&D investments are spent.

Chair, APGA Research Foundation: Jose Lozano, Okaloosa Gas

President & CEO: Bert Kalisch

Chief Operating Officer: Bob Beauregard

Assistant Staff Executive: Sheila Deringis