Alaska
Frozen Out of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Permafrost, as everyone who has worked in the oil sector in Alaska knows, describes soil that remains frozen year round. Back in the 1970s, when a group of oil companies collaborated on the groundbreaking (no pun intended) project of building the 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska-Pipeline, permafrost was just one of a multitude of daunting challenges engineers faced. They also had to transport large numbers of workers to highly remote regions, and find a way to secure the pipeline from everything from temperature swings to gunshots. (Because of the permafrost, long stretches of the pipeline were built above ground.)
It was a project on a scale that had never been attempted and the reason so many people saw it through to a successful completion in 1977 is that they knew it was worth the effort. Establishing a reliable means for transporting crude from Alaska’s oil-rich North Slope to points south was a sort of insurance policy for companies that explored in the region that their oil would find a way to market.
Interestingly, the pipeline project was born at a time of severe recession for the country and drew support both for the well-paying jobs it created and the promise of more reliable oil prices from home-grown sources.
It is ironic, then, that today the pipeline is facing an early demise even though estimates of proven oil reserves in Alaska continue to grow. The Anchorage Daily News recently published an extensive analysis of the massive investments that are already required to sustain the pipeline in the face of diminished shipments, and the growing concerns that it will soon not be economically feasible to operate the pipeline at all.
We’ve noted this problem in the past: how the health of Alaska’s oil industry impacts the health of all sorts of other industries on which the state’s economy depends. But as concerns mount about the future of the key vehicle for moving oil through the state, you also have to wonder how a weakened or entirely shut pipeline would affect production and exploration.
It’s a chicken-and-egg argument. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was built because the demand existed to transport large volumes of oil. But if the pipeline were to go away, would producers have any incentive to stay, let alone, expand in Alaska? Political climates, of course, change with the seasons, but you can’t always patiently wait for a new, more welcoming climate, to blow in. As the saying goes, you must use it or lose it.
There have been some recent victories allowing responsible drilling in Alaska, but there are many more unresolved disputes that are critical to maintaining throughput on the pipeline, and in turn ensuring that Alaska’s oil infrastructure that was installed with great effort just a generation ago, remains intact.
Tags: Alaska, alaska pipeline, Anchorage, domestic energy, oil and gas, trans-alaska pipeline
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CEA Praises Bipartisan Congressional Letter to Interior Dept. on Polar Bear Ruling; Echoes Call for Responsible Offshore Alaskan Energy Production
Monday, January 4th, 2010
HOUSTON – December, 22, 2009 Earlier today, 13 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Congressman Don Young of Alaska, wrote Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, urging his agency to carefully consider the economic and energy security consequences associated with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposal to designate critical habitat for polar bears under the Endangered Species Act. The ruling, which is open for public comment until December 28, could dramatically undercut responsible energy production and job creation in Alaska.
David Holt, president of the non-partisan Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), issued the following statement in response to the letter:
“Balancing the safe, responsible development of America’s abundant natural resources while ensuring its critical habitat is preserved is something we can do, must do, and in fact have done for many years. Unfortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal, as currently written, seeks to lock up enormous amounts of American energy – resources that could create thousands of good-paying jobs and help stabilize energy prices for struggling consumers when they need it most.
“Like in so many other industries, the energy industry continues to make great technological advancements each and every day. These advancements not only allow access to energy resources that were once thought to be out of reach, but they also allow exploration to be done in a more responsible, environmentally-mindful manner, ensuring that wildlife are properly protected.
“As this public comment continues forward, it is imperative that the secretary makes certain that sound scientific and economic data is considered. CEA applauds the dedicated work from this bipartisan group of lawmakers, who share our organization’s commitment to advancing policies that promote – not discourage – stable energy prices for American consumers through the responsible development of all of our nation’s energy resources, especially in Alaska.”
NOTE: To view this letter on-line, click HERE.
READ MORE
A 2009 University of Alaska Anchorage study entitled “Economic Analysis of Future Offshore Oil & Gas Development” finds:
- OCS development could generate an annual average of 35,000 jobs over the next 50 years – a six percent increase compared to total statewide employment without OCS development.
- Opportunities would be created throughout the state in both high paying, long-term, year-round jobs and in seasonal and short-term jobs. Of the 6,000 oil and gas sector jobs, about 3,900 could be long-term, year-round jobs.
A November 16 National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARCU) study entitled “Analysis of the Impact on the Social, Economic and Environmental Effects of Maintaining Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Moratoria” finds:
- Cumulative domestic oil and natural gas production decreases by 21% and 10%, respectively;
- Average natural gas price increases by 28% and average gasoline price increases by 8.4 percent;
- Cumulative oil imports from OPEC countries increase by 4.1 billion barrels; and
- Cumulative national payments to OPEC countries increase by $607 billion.
A December 16 Rasmussen poll found “that 68% of U.S. voters believe offshore oil drilling should be allowed”.
Tags: Alaska, domestic energy, fish and wildlife, FWS, offshore energy, polar bear ruling
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The consumer energy year in review
Monday, January 4th, 2010
New Year’s brings a time for all of us to review what we’ve accomplished over the past 12 months and chart a course for the future. It may sound cliché, but with such an eventful year behind us, and so many momentous challenges ahead, those of us here at Consumer Energy Alliance couldn’t resist the urge to compile our own Best of 2009 list. What follows are some of the milestone moments of the past year, in which our strong network of supporters significantly advanced our goal of making our country more energy secure and economically sustainable.
- New respect for Offshore Drilling. Yes, many key offshore sites remain off limits to exploration and production but 2009 was a year that policymakers from California to Florida revisited longstanding bans on offshore drilling. They recognized the advances in technology that are making it possible to conduct major projects with minimal footprint and conducted level-headed debates about reversing longstanding bans. Stay tuned – and stay engaged — for more in 2010.
- The sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico. From the appeals court ruling over the summer allowing drilling to go forward in a vast swath of the Gulf, to new data showing strong yields from some of the older properties in the Gulf, to BP’s massive discovery in that same region, you could say that everything old became new again in the Gulf.
- Silent majority finds its voice. It’s not easy competing against protestors who play fast and loose with the facts and even resort to donning furry animal costumes to get attention. Nonetheless, when the Interior Department solicited feedback on some contested offshore drilling sites, the supporters of responsible drilling significantly outnumbered those who cried “not in my backyard.” This letter writing campaign to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was a major CEA initiative throughout much of the year, and turned out to be a major success. Thank you!
- Alaska’s oil industry gets some needed relief. Speaking of Ken Salazar, the Interior Department’s recent decision allowing Shell Oil to drill three exploratory wells in the contested Chukchi Sea was a significant milestone in efforts to tap the state’s vast oil and gas reserves.
- Renewable energy tapped for practical purposes. Renewable energy has always been a topic of interest to consumers but in 2009 the country made great strides in incorporating renewable power sources into our overall power supply, while recognizing both the limits of these sources as well as some niche applications ideally suited for renewables. Consider the solar powered trash can and some of the new uses for cow manure.
- The argument against exporting emissions gains traction. Politics might all be local, but emissions can travel halfway around the world in no time. Those of us who support a strong domestic oil industry have always understood the folly of exporting oil production, particularly to distant destinations that lack the environmental standards we have here at home. It’s one of the reasons, we’re so opposed to low carbon fuel standards. We clearly haven’t won this argument yet, but thanks to some of our vocal supporters – and some advanced science that can actually track the movement of things like toxic clouds from coal burning power plants in China – the not-in-my-backyard line of thinking is losing some power.
- Ocean Policy Task Force faces tough questions. If the Administration thought that while no one was looking, it could just impose a new layer of regulations on all of the industries that conduct business along the country’s waterways, it was mistaken. Shortly after the Ocean Policy Task Force was convened, lawmakers began raising questions about who would be setting the new rules and whether they could cost the country jobs.
Of course, we are a long way from winning the battle to prevent regulators from taking control of our oceans. Likewise the effort continues to bring responsible drilling and production to more of our coastal waters and ultimately produce more of the oil we consume in the U.S. In the coming weeks, we’ll outline some of the challenges for the New Year.
But for now, we leave you on an optimistic note. We thank you as always for your support.
Tags: 2009, 2010, Alaska, domestic energy, emissions, five year program, Gulf of Mexico, LCFS, new year, ocean policy, ocean policy task force, oceans, ocs, offshore drilling, renewable energy, year in review
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Alaska in balance
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
To fully appreciate the significance of the Interior Department’s long-awaited decision earlier this week to allow Shell Oil to drill three exploratory wells in the contested Chukchi Sea, you need to keep in mind the recent struggles and uncertainties that the oil industry in the state of Alaska has faced.
Last month, ConocoPhillips announced that for the first time in 40 years, it had no plans to drill new exploratory wells in Alaska. BP, meanwhile, reportedly cut its 2010 development budget for Alaska by 15%. Volume on the trans-Alaska pipeline is way down from its 1988 peak, reflecting a failure of newer fields to offset the decline from Prudhoe Bay. And as capacity approaches the point at which operating the pipeline would no longer be feasible, thousands of jobs, as well as the future of the state’s main industry hang in the balance.
All of these developments are part of a general uncertainty over the future of the Alaskan oil production. The uncertainty comes not from any doubts about large volumes of untapped reserves in the state: By conservative estimates, Alaska’s coastal waters hold 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Rather, questions persist over our ability to access those reserves.
The December 7 Interior Department ruling allowing Shell to drill in Chukchi resolves a longstanding dispute in one of the state’s most oil rich regions. An appeals court ruling earlier this year had allowed some other oil and gas projects in Alaska that had been initiated during the Bush Administration, but then held up under Obama, to go forward.
The Chukchi Sea is considered one of the most underdeveloped sources of oil in the U.S. Shell is eager to begin drilling. Alaska Governor Sean Parnell is also looking forward to the project getting underway. “Alaskans need these jobs and Shell is well prepared to explore for and develop oil and gas basins critical to our nation’s security,” he said in a statement.
However, it is worth stressing, as we’ve said before on this blog, that oil majors in no way regard this, or any other favorable ruling, as a license to drill with abandon. In fact, Shell won approval to drill in Chukchi only after it presented a proposal that addressed environmental concerns, in part by tightening the pollution controls on its drill ship. It was a costly and time consuming investment that should underscore the industry’s interest in Alaskan oil and gas, but its desire to do right by the state over the long haul.
Tags: Alaska, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, domestic energy, drilling, Interior Department, oil and gas, Shell Oil
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Gov. Sean Parnell Meets Fellow Oil and Gas Governors
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Yesterday morning in Biloxi, Mississippi, Governor Sean Parnell (see video) kept approval of Alaska OCS and implementation of an Alaska gas pipeline at the top of his priority list. Parnell shared a morning podium with IOGCC Chairman Brad Henry of Oklahoma, Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant and Texas Governor Rick Perry (2009-10 Chairman).
Tags: Alaska, ocs, Sean Parnell
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Don’t forget Alaska’s natural gas
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
We’ve all seen the signs: This bus runs on clean natural gas. Yet too often, too many of us fail to absorb the message: There are fossil fuels in abundant supply right in our country that, if properly developed, could reduce the need for foreign fuel and at the same time give environmentalists something to brag about.
That’s right, brag. Natural gas is such a clean-burning fuel that cities all over the country have invested in public buses and municipal fleets that run on natural gas, and then they advertise what they’re done.
Why then, is the debate over new oil and natural gas exploration in Alaska typically, and incorrectly, cast as a battle between people who love the environment and people who love oil? Perhaps a better question is, Why do the oil and natural gas interests that support more exploration in Alaska allow the opponents to frame the public debate that way?
CEA has often detailed why strong domestic oil and natural gas industries are critical to our energy independence, our economy and, yes, our environment. But for a moment, let’s just focus on the natural gas part of the puzzle. Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf, in addition to being rich in oil, holds an estimated 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
In a recent editorial, Drue Pearce, the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, grouped Arctic natural gas with wind, solar and geothermal power, as power sources that existed in abundant supply that could help the country achieve a more balanced energy policy.
It’s a message we’d all need to remember: In Alaska, and elsewhere in the U.S., we’re seeking the right to explore for and produce oil as well as natural gas. We need to remind people that natural gas is a clean-burning fuel that could help us collectively reduce emissions … and that there’s plenty of it right here at home.
Tags: Alaska, Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, natural gas
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Modern Gushers
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Last week we wrote about Peak Oil propaganda and how predictions of the death of the oil industry were grossly exaggerated. Later that week, BP Plc announced a major, major find in deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico expected to eventually yield 300,000 to 400,000 barrels of oil per day, or about half the capacity from all of Alaska’s North Slope.
Those are heady numbers, even for an industry accustomed to dealing in very large volumes. So here’s another way to wrap your head around the magnitude of BP’s gusher: Early estimates are placing the total reserves at at least four billion barrels of oil and natural gas. Assuming a reasonable 35% recovery rate, this single site could account for about 5% of BP’s total proven oil reserves worldwide.
The fact that it is coming from a region often considered past its oil-producing prime offers a tantalizing sense for how much oil may still be out there waiting to be found.
BP owes this game-changing discovery to an aggressive commitment to explore for new oil, advanced technology that has in recent years enabled it to dig deeper, and government policies that have helped oil companies bear the cost.
Indeed, the newly-discovered oil is 36,000 feet below the Gulf floor, or as described by the Houston Chronicle, nearly a mile deeper than Mount Everest is high.
Not really a gusher at all, this is oil that will require a lot more work and investment to get anywhere close to the earth’s surface. It will likely not be a producing field for more than a decade. The daunting challenge of reaching oil trapped so far beneath the ground has often led critics to argue that it is just not economically feasible to produce. As BP’s massive discovery shows, even the most expensive projects may be cost effective when the volumes being produced are large enough. No one, after all, is suggesting now that BP should walk away from this find.
In the earliest days of oil, most fields were found just a few hundred feet below ground, so shallow that when oil was struck it literally gushed to the surface like a geyser. 3-D seismic drilling technology led to wells dug at 10,000 feet or more below ground. And in 1995, President Bill Clinton recognized the need for new policies for a rapidly-changing industry. He signed the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act to ease the burden of royalties on oil produced at great depths in order to encourage further exploration and development.
Just as the earliest oil producers could not have conceptualized the technology that would transform their industry, they probably could not have predicted the need for government policies such as royalty relief to spur continued exploration and innovation. Those who go around promoting Peak Oil are often blind to the industry’s real potential. Reaching that potential will require a lot of hard work, friendly policies that evolve with the industry … and the ability to think big. (And deep.)
Tags: Alaska, BP, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, Deep Water Royalty Relief Act, Gulf of Mexico, North Slope, oil
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Offshore drilling: Progress continues
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
A federal appeals court has given the go-ahead to ongoing exploration in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, throwing out a frivolous lawsuit that had threatened to stop the project. The decision is the second this summer to rule in favor of offshore drilling and domestic energy independence, and underscores how efforts to reverse decades-long bans on production in some of the country’s oil-rich areas is certainly not a lost cause.
The latest appeals court ruling would seem to bode well for upcoming rulings over exploration on other parts of the Beaufort Sea and the Bering and Chukchi Seas, all which were approved by the Bush Administration but then stalled by lawsuits. As CEA recently noted, a robust Alaskan oil sector is critical not just to serving the nation’s energy needs but to preserving Alaska’s economy, through additional jobs and throughput on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Back in July, an appeals court ruled that oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could go forward as approved by the Bush Administration.
CEA is pleased that these high courts are striking down baseless objections to exploration and production in some of the country’s most promising sites. Although it is impossible to saw which way future rulings will go, there does appear to be a willingness to reconsider some past resistance, and take into account how much domestic oil stands to help the struggling domestic economy. There is a window of opportunity.
As we all await clarification on other the leases in Alaska, we urge everyone to keep the pressure on lawmakers to do the right thing. We refer you once again to the Call to Action on our Web site, which contains important information about the link between domestic energy production and national security and a strong economy.
Tags: Alaska, Beaufort Sea, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, court, offshore drilling
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Alaska by numbers
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Advocates of increased domestic drilling have enough important battles brewing in the country’s lower 48 states to keep them busy. But it is important that we don’t inadvertently overlook Alaska, or dismiss it as a region where drilling is alive and well.
In some respects, drilling is alive and well in Alaska. The state accounts for almost 15% of total U.S. production and the Alaska Pipeline Service Company says it transports some 730,000 barrels per day.
But production is way down from its peak and the current capacity on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is less than half the 2.1 million barrels per day shipped in 1988. This diminished capacity flies in the face of abundant reserves. The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS), which tends to err on the conservative side, estimates that there are some 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the waters off the coast of Alaska. That’s just about a third of all the oil estimated to lie beneath all the country’s offshore waters.
Oil producers in the Gulf of Mexico got some good news last month when a U.S. appeals court clarified an earlier decision and ruled that oil and gas projects initiated under the Bush Administration could go forward as planned. But that ruling left projects in Alaska’s Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering Seas in limbo. Although the federal government last year awarded $2.6 billion in leases in Alaska, those projects remain on hold, pending the resolution of some frivolous lawsuits.
Some of the country’s contested oil production sites would add incrementally to the domestic energy supply, and these incremental improvements are definitely worth pursuing, both for conventional and alternative sources of power. However the reserves in Alaska are so vast, they hold the collective potential to be a real game changer, helping the U.S. significantly reduce the oil it imports from overseas. The Chukchi Sea is considered the most underdeveloped source of offshore petroleum in the U.S.
One study by the University of Alaska estimated that Alaska’s outer continental shelf could produce nearly 1.8 million barrels a day, or 300,000 thousands barrels per day more than what we currently import from Saudi Arabia. The same study estimates there is enough natural gas in those waters to produce 13% of total U.S. demand.
It goes without saying that increased oil and natural gas production would create thousands of new jobs. Another important wrinkle in the case for more exploration and drilling in Alaska is that the Trans Alaska Pipeline System depends on it. Without the addition of new oil from Alaska’s coastal waters TAPS’ capacity could decline to the point that, by the year 2046, it could no longer be viable.
There may not be a quick resolution to the disputed leases in Alaska, but it is critical that we remain focused on this oil-rich region and continue a grassroots campaign to put pressure on lawmakers to make the decision that is right for the country’s energy security and its economy. The recent favorable rulings covering Gulf drilling show that these efforts do not go unnoticed. The Call to Action section of CEA’s Web site details why a strong domestic oil sector is critical. When writing to your Congressional representatives, feel free to use any of the attached text, or make the case in our own words. And thank you for all your help so far. It has made all the difference.
Tags: Alaska, alternative energy development, Consumer Energy Alliance, jobs, MMS, natural gas, ocs, offshore, oil, pipeline, revenue, TAPS
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Good news for the Gulf
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
A federal appeals court ruled on July 29 that new oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico can go forward as planned; clarifying a decision it issued earlier this year to block some projects initiated during the Bush Administration. An August 19 lease sale is now set for some 18 million acres covering an area projected to yield up to 423 million barrels of oil and 2.64 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Needless to say, oil industry groups are applauding the ruling. So is Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who stressed that any viable U.S. energy strategy must include some domestic production.
In a political climate where policy is so easily swayed by public opinion, CEA wants to thank all its supporters for helping to elevate our cause … and to remind them that much work remains to be done.
Oil producers are still waiting for clearance to explore Alaska’s offshore region, and the vast majority of the coastal waters in the lower 48 states remain off limits, even though a longstanding ban on offshore drilling in the country’s outer continental shelf was lifted more than a year ago.
Hopefully, the latest court ruling signals a growing commitment to end our dependence on foreign oil and create more jobs in the process.
Tags: Alaska, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, foreign oil, Gulf of Mexico, oil
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CEA July 2009 Newsletter
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
CEA Newsletter
Issue 28
Message from CEA President David Holt
As summer continues in full-swing, Consumer Energy Alliance is also moving forward with a brand-new initiative – the CEA Journal, an online blog on our website dedicated to exploring current energy issues and effects on American consumers.
Through CEA Journal, we will highlight issues that are vital to all Americans. Some of these issues include the development of a comprehensive Five-Year Program for development of oil and gas resources as well as supporting utilization of Alaska’s vast resources. We need your help with these important concerns.
With the increased page views and reader comments we’ve received, CEA Journal is a hit, providing website visitors with information that they need and want to know about America’s energy situation.
Recent entries include: “Beyond Staycations,” “(Part of) the Answer is Blowing in the Wind,” “Small Businesses Rising to the Challenge” and “For Truckers, It’s Been a Long Haul.” In addition, the blog explores such diverse topics as the rising prices at gasoline pumps nationwide, energy-conscious car-buying and home weatherization. Energy hot points are also discussed, including: the debate over domestic drilling, greenhouse gas emissions and utilization of solar power.
In keeping with Consumer Energy Alliance’s mission of promoting a balanced American energy policy that includes ALL resources, the information provided in the CEA Journal is fair and the scope is wide.
Have an insight or comment that you’d like to contribute? CEA Journal enables readers to post messages about blog entries and issues important to them. We urge you to join in the discussion and make your voice heard. Every person in the country can play an essential role in shaping America’s energy policy and aid in formulating common solutions to stabilize energy prices and secure resources for America.
Take the first step to engaging in the open dialogue on America’s energy issues from the comfort of your home or office by visiting the CEA Journal today. View the CEA Journal online blog at CEA’s website here. Also, feel free to send us an e-mail or post a comment to the blog with suggestions about topics or simply to find out more about a certain piece of the American energy puzzle.
Consumer Energy Alliance’s goal is to achieve an American energy policy that works for Americans. We could not accomplish this without your strong and faithful support as well as your input on the issues that are important to you.
Want to receive timely updates? Follow CEA on Twitter, a free web-based networking site that allows users to receive instant updates of information. If you do not have a Twitter account yet, simply sign up here and begin following CEA.
We hope you enjoy CEA Journal and participate actively. We look forward to introducing many more interesting and useful initiatives, such as the blog, in the months to come.
David Holt
President
Support Development of Alaska’s Offshore Oil & Gas Resources!
At a time when the American public is crying out for more domestic energy, Alaska has enormous untapped oil and gas potential, especially in its offshore areas. The waters off Alaska’s coasts hold about 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, estimates MMS.
To begin producing energy from these resource basins, the federal government must take action. Join us in our effort as we build public support for offshore minerals exploration and development in Alaska. Send in your comments today!
Support the Five-Year Draft Proposed Program to Develop Offshore Oil & Gas Resources!
A significant domestic supply of energy can be safely and efficiently found right here off of America’s shores. The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) currently administers the considerable energy resources contained in our offshore waters and wants to hear from you about offshore oil & gas and alternative energy development.
Opposition to offshore energy development is mounting. We need you to let Washington know you support reasonable access to America’s offshore energy resources. Send in your comments today!
Consumer Corner: Efficient Lighting Strategies
Did you know that the electric light bulb was invented just 130 years ago? Thomas Alva Edison invented the carbon-filament lamp in 1879. This invention ushered in an era of inventions and progress that led to our present-day world of technology and electricity dependence.
In the United States, about 15 percent of household electricity is used for lighting – mostly through the use of traditional incandescent bulbs. We use artificial light to meet all types of needs, including: ambient, task and accent lighting.
Using new technologies, you can decrease the electricity used for your lighting needs by 50 to 75 percent. Not only does that save you money, but it is also wise utilization of America’s resources.
Make use of these tips:
- More light is not always better – match your lighting needs to your tasks
- Use a dimmer switch to reduce costs
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs and systems to save energy
- Try “daylighting” – using natural light, when available, through the use of windows and skylights
Find out more about efficient lighting strategies from the U.S. Department of Energy here.
Nuclear Energy Institute: History of Nuclear Power & Industry Standing
The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) welcomed CEA into its offices in downtown Washington, D.C. for the July 18 meeting. NEI is the policy organization for the nuclear technologies industry and participates in both the national and global policy-making process. NEI’s objective is to ensure the formation of policies that promote the beneficial uses of nuclear energy and technologies in the United States and around the world. NEI joined CEA’s efforts last year and has developed a strong partnership with the Alliance on several initiatives.
Marshall Cohen, NEI’s Senior Director of State and Local Governmental Affairs, presented to the group of 40+ participants on the history of nuclear power and where the industry currently stands. Given the nation’s projected increase in electricity demands, the need for expanding our energy portfolio has never been more evident. Nuclear energy is a clean, reliable, and safe source of energy that currently provides the nation with almost 20 percent of its electricity. The nuclear power industry is working to re-license the existing fleet of reactors in the United States as well as develop projects to build a number of new reactors.
Mr. Cohen addressed questions regarding the issues surrounding the Nuclear Renaissance including the financial hurdles utility companies are facing, the new plant build preparation coming from the manufacturing community, the on-going “waste” issue, concerns over staffing the wave of new plants and national security issues associated with the fuel cycle.
NEI hopes to bring to CEA’s membership opportunities for economic expansion and support its programs. “NEI recognizes that CEA is a very important organization that represents a variety of groups consumed with the energy crisis throughout the U.S., and NEI is pleased to be working with them on energy policies important to companies, communities, and individuals,” said Marshall Cohen.
U.S. Western Public Lands to be Used for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development
U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently announced consideration of dozens of areas of western public lands for large-scale generation of solar electricity. Read article…
Multi-Millions in Government Funds to be Used for Expansion of American Hydropower
Modernization of existing hydropower facilities within the United States will be funded with $32 million, recently announced U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Read article…
Affiliate Spotlight: American Chemistry Council
Representing leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) truly is the voice of the U.S. Chemical Industry.
“ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people’s lives better, healthier and safer,” says Vice President of Federal Affairs Marty Durbin, noting that the business of chemistry is a $664 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation’s economy.
ACC’s mission is to deliver business value to its members through exceptional advocacy based on enhanced member performance, high quality scientific research, communications, effective participation in the political process, and a commitment to sustainable development through member contributions to economic, environmental and societal progress.
“Every day, we advocate that the chemistry industry is essential to America,” Durbin maintains.
Energy issues are important to ACC, according to Durbin, because the American chemistry industry is energy-intensive. In fact, American chemistry is the largest of the energy-intensive U.S. manufacturing industries engaged in global trade.
“American chemistry uses energy to save energy. A forthcoming study will show that use of chemistry products saves three units of greenhouse gases for every unit emitted during the manufacturing process. From biofuels to hydrogen technologies, chemistry is at the heart of creating new and diverse energy sources.”
To compete effectively in global markets, ACC needs affordable, available, efficient and diverse energy, Durbin emphasizes.
“We use large amounts of oil and natural gas, not just to heat and power our facilities but as raw materials, or ‘feedstocks.’ The products of chemistry go into 96 percent of U.S. manufactured goods. Significantly, our feedstock consumption of energy does not emit greenhouse gases. We’re also a leading producer of clean electricity using combined heat and power systems.”
ACC supports the responsible development of clean and affordable American energy resources.
“That’s because public investments and other policies that support clean energy solutions drive demand for chemistry – speeding economic recovery – while helping us help the nation reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our industry is a major contributor to clean and renewable energy applications that reduce emissions,” explains Durbin.
“Chemistry goes into energy-saving and renewable energy products such as building insulation, solar panels, wind turbines, lightweight vehicle parts, compact fluorescent light bulbs, lithium-ion batteries, automotive and industrial lubricants, energy-efficient appliances, and many more.”
In terms of energy goals, ACC promotes several initiatives, Durbin points out.
“We support the development of a comprehensive energy policy built on energy efficiency and conservation, energy diversity (e.g. alternatives, renewables, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear, combined heat and power) and expanded domestic oil and natural gas development. The United States will need each of these elements to bring about a more affordable, secure and diverse energy future, a globally competitive manufacturing sector and a lower-emission economy.”
Climate policy is a key issue for the American chemistry industry, particularly because of the energy link to climate solutions.
“A poorly conceived climate policy has the potential to encourage a significant increase in the price of feedstocks, reductions in the supplies available to energy-intensive manufacturers, and a shift of natural gas resources into electricity generation. We need well-conceived and integrated policies on both climate and energy.”
As a member of Consumer Energy Alliance, ACC recognizes that energy consumers are an important voice in the energy policy debate and education is one of the keys to sound policy.
“Working together, we can help educate policymakers and the public about the critical role energy plays in American manufacturing, and the consequences of energy policy for our national economy, security, and standard of living. We believe CEA is a key resource on the most important energy issues and can help encourage the development of a thoughtful, comprehensive national energy policy,” explains Durbin.
For more information on the American Chemistry Council, visit www.americanchemistry.com.
Tags: 5YP, ACC, Alaska, American Chemistry Council, CEA Blog, efficient, hydropower, July 2009, lighting, minerals management, MMS, newsletter, Nuclear Energy Institute, oil and gas, resources, solar
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CEA: Alaskans Turn Out in Force to Support Offshore Energy Exploration; At Hearing in Anchorage, America’s Citizen Energy Experts Turn Out En Masse to Make Their Voices Heard
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
ANCHORAGE— April 14, 2009 Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) president David Holt issued the following statement today after Alaskan consumers, service providers, union members, producers and transporters of energy came out in large numbers to attend and participate in the Interior Department’s third public meeting on the future of American energy policy.
“Alaskans know what it takes to produce the energy that powers America – a contribution the rest of the nation continues to benefit from more than 40 years after the first commercial discovery at Prudhoe Bay. That’s why it’s appropriate Secretary Salazar would come out to Anchorage today, allowing him a chance to hear firsthand how responsible energy exploration can co-exist with, and even complement, sound stewardship of our environment – all while creating and sustaining thousands of good-paying, family-supporting jobs.”
A study released by the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) in December found that responsible energy exploration in Alaska accounts for more than 108,000 high-paying jobs in the state — jobs that are responsible for generating more than $7 billion in individual wages.
Dave Harbour, a member of CEA’s Board of Advisors and a former commissioner of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, also testified at the hearing, saying: “America can properly produce its offshore wealth in a way that will directly and quickly begin benefiting consumers everywhere. Beginning to explore for, and then produce, America’s trillions of cubic feet of clean burning natural gas resources and billions of barrels of prospective oil resources will transform America.”
A recent report issued by the Interior Department shows that these undeveloped reserves of the OCS represent about four times the US proved reserves of oil and natural gas. The report also underscores the need for more analysis of what is actually available offshore — analysis that is likely to show a great deal more oil and gas offshore than currently projected. According to the federal government, more than 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lie undeveloped off our shores in the OCS. That amounts to enough energy to replace 50 years worth of OPEC oil.
Before any offshore resources can be explored, the Interior Department must include prospective areas in its “five year plan” for offshore energy development. Today’s hearing in Anchorage is the third in a series of four public meetings designed to provide a platform for the public to discuss and debate the agency’s plan. Previous hearings took place in Atlantic City and New Orleans. A final hearing is slated for Thursday in San Francisco.
Tags: Alaska, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, energy, exploration, Interior Department, natural gas, offshore, oil, OPEC, Secretary Salazar
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