ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NATSO, representing truck stops and travel centers, SIGMA: America's Leading Fuel Marketers, and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) encouraged the Federal Energy Commission (FERC) to abandon a prospective plan to restructure how interstate pipelines establish contracts with shipping companies. The plan under consideration would grant monopolistic pricing power to the pipeline industry and force consumers to pay more for diesel and gasoline.

"The Administration is looking for creative ways to keep fuel prices as low as possible; this proposal is at odds with everything we've seen the Administration pursue," said David Fialkov, head of government affairs for NATSO and SIGMA. "What FERC is looking at would raise gas prices and diesel prices. I don't know why it's even on the table right now."

NATSO, SIGMA and NACS, which represent 90 percent of fuel sold at retail, urged FERC to abandon any plans to initiate a rulemaking that would permit interstate oil pipelines to negotiate transportation rates individually with shipping companies. Such an approach would raise fuel prices and violate the Interstate Commerce Act.

"This new plan would increase costs while providing little benefit to the marketplace," said Doug Kantor, NACS senior vice president of government relations and general counsel. "It will be better for consumers, retailers, and the broader market if FERC sticks with current regulations."

In a letter to the five FERC Commissioners, NATSO, SIGMA and NACS said, "Permitting pipelines to discriminate among shippers would not benefit consumers. It would merely govern the allocation of monopoly profits between the pipeline and its favored shipping affiliates. Were the Commission to do so, we are highly confident that it would impose significant upward pressure on the prices consumers pay for diesel and gasoline throughout the country at the very moment the federal government is taking extraordinary measures to bring those prices down."

NATSO, SIGMA and NACS support the existing regulatory framework and question the rationale for opening the rulemaking process without determining a prevailing problem and without examining the impact it would have on American consumers.

The Interstate Commerce Act prohibits oil pipelines from discriminating between shippers and requires them to charge "just and reasonable" rates for the transportation of oil through interstate pipelines. Any ability to negotiate individual shipping contracts would create unequal rates and classes of shippers with inequitable pipeline access. This imbalance will result in significantly higher delivery costs.

Cost increases are readily perceived by consumers, who comparison shop fuel prices and often make fuel purchasing decisions based on a one cent per gallon difference. Gasoline prices are one of the most visible, tangible ways consumers experience inflation in the U.S. economy. Higher diesel costs also raise the price of food, medicine and everyday household goods transported by truck as motor carriers experience higher operating costs.

About NATSO, SIGMA, and NACS:

NATSO is the trade association representing America's travel center and truck stop industry. Founded in 1960, NATSO represents the industry on legislative and regulatory matters; serves as the official source of information on the diverse travel center, truck stop and off-highway fuel retail industries; provides education to its members; conducts an annual convention and trade show; and supports efforts to generally improve the business climate in which its members operate. For more information visit NATSO.com. Follow NATSO on Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; and X. Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, Vice President, Public Affairs. 202-365-9459

SIGMA is the national trade association representing the most successful, progressive, and innovative fuel marketers and chain retailers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1958 as the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), SIGMA has become a fixture in the motor fuel marketing industry. Representing a diverse membership of approximately 250 independent chain retailers and marketers of motor fuel, the association serves to further the interests of both the branded and unbranded segment of the industry while providing information and services to members. For more information visit SIGMA.org.

NACS For more than 60 years, NACS has been recognized as the premiere association for convenience and fuel retailers. NACS has more than 1,000 retail member companies that cumulatively represent more than 200,000 stores in 50-plus countries, including 90,000 stores in the United States alone. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, conducts 160 million transactions daily and had sales of $837 billion in 2024. For more information, visit convenience.org. Follow NACS on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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SOURCE NATSO, Inc.