energy security
A better way to create jobs
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
This week as Congress debates a $15 billion jobs bill aimed at getting more than 15 million unemployed Americans back to work, there is this story out of Janesville, Wisconsin: an autoworker was so desperate to hold onto his job that he followed it when it moved to another state 500 miles away.
Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures, and after two straight years of jobs loss, many people can think of worse things than a 1000-mile-per-week commute that, after hours on the road, leads to a paycheck.
You have to applaud Congress for its attention to the very severe jobs crisis the country faces. But any reasonable person also has to wonder if there isn’t an easier way.
The Heritage Foundation made the same point earlier this month when it outlined research showing how increasing domestic oil production by two million barrels per day could create 270,000 jobs.
The best thing about these jobs is that they would be easy to find. Ever since July of 2008, when then-President Bush lifted a 10-year-ban on offshore drilling, there has been pent-up demand from Florida to California, Texas and even Virginia to begin exploratory drilling in the nation’s outer continental shelf.
It’s going on two years since that historic milestone, which might have created more of the well-paying jobs we need. And yet, we’re all still waiting. That’s because there seems to be a de-facto ban in place, with layers of red tape, despite an overwhelming show of support by the American public in favor of increasing the responsible production of domestic oil and gas.
Now, given the history of energy in our country, it’s reasonable to assume that oil, gas, nuclear power and even windmills will all be the topics of debate for years to come. And that’s probably fine – to a point. Vigorous public debates can help us refine our policies so that they better address a broad range of interests.
But when you reach a point where the public “discussion” is so heated that it chokes off all action, the debate is no longer serving anyone. And, at a time when lawmakers are talking about spending billions of dollars to put people back to work, it seems irresponsible to disregard the strategies that would create thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of jobs, without costing the government a penny.
Today more and more states are revisiting drilling projects in coastal waters. For the first time in years, California, one of the most oil-rich states in the nation, is considering ways to allow more offshore drilling. But it took a severe state budget crisis to get it to that point, and strong opposition remains. Sentiment also appears to be shifting in Florida, where even some of the tourist groups that were once the staunchest opponents to offshore drilling have come to recognize that you can’t have a strong tourism industry without a strong economic base.
These are promising signs to be sure, but without decisive support and follow through, they will remain just that: unfulfilled promises.
In Virginia, lawmakers are close to passing a law that would allocate revenues from offshore drilling projects for roads in the state. Yet, the drilling itself has not yet commenced and could face delays for years. Even Alaska’s oil industry, long a strong and steady source of domestic oil, faces an uncertain future thanks to red tape.
Irresponsible behavior, or just madness? At a time desperate job seekers are being forced to drive thousands of miles to find work, this ongoing resistance to increased domestic oil and gas production seems to be a little bit of both.
Tags: American energy, American jobs, autoworkers, balanced energy, economy, energy security, jobs, jobs bill, offshore drilling, The Center for North American Energy Security, unemployed
Posted in CEABlog | No Comments »
CEA: New Interior Dept. Rules Will Discourage Domestic Energy Production, Deepen Foreign Dependence
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
HOUSTON – January 6, 2010 Earlier today Interior secretary Ken Salazar announced a series of new federal leasing rules that aim to impede, and in some cases deny, the safe and responsible exploration of energy resources on taxpayer-owned lands. Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) president David Holt issued the following statement in response:
“Adding layers of additional and unnecessary bureaucratic red-tape to the federal oil and gas leasing process will result in less homegrown energy for American families, seniors and small businesses. At the same time, erecting these needless roadblocks for safely producing American energy will not only lead to more expensive and less stable prices for struggling consumers, but it will also deepen our nation’s dependence on foreign and often unfriendly regions of the world to meet our growing demands and to keep our economy moving.
“With gas prices once again on the rise – and home heating costs expected to continue to spike throughout this severe winter season – policymakers in Washington should be committing their efforts to help stabilize and drive down energy prices through responsibility developing all of our energy resources – not discouraging domestic production, especially our vast oil shale reserves in the Intermountain-West and offshore, particularly in Alaska’s energy-rich seas.
“Responsibly unlocking our domestic energy reserves will help create thousands of good-paying jobs at a time when they’re most needed. And CEA is eager to work with Secretary Salazar and Congress to help craft commonsense energy policies that promote stable prices for all consumers, create jobs and drive down our nation’s foreign energy dependence through developing all of our resources – including alternatives and renewables – safely and effectively.”
Tags: domestic energy, energy security, foreign dependence, Interior Department, Salazar
Posted in CEA News | No Comments »
A season of paradox
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Folks living within a vast swath of the eastern United States had their festive plans for caroling and last-minute holiday shopping disrupted over the weekend by the biggest snow storm in years. In many regions like the greater Washington D.C. area, the storm shattered old records for December snowfall … and winter hadn’t even officially begun yet.
The blizzard, combined with the sub-freezing temperatures, all but promises a white Christmas in regions hit by the storm.
Of course, snow days and sledding and cozy times together by an indoor fireplace come along with treacherous roads and driveways that need to be shoveled and the high heating bills required to keep everyone warm inside.
And this year, as people brace for those wintertime heating bills, they’ll be chagrined to discover that the soft economy has done little to lower the cost of keeping their homes warm. It’s an ongoing paradox we’ve discussed here before: how the normal rules of supply and demand don’t really apply when the product in question comes from overseas sources that have their own way of artificially controlling pricing.
Last summer, we discussed how oil prices were rising despite soft demand and swelling inventories. This winter, prepare for more of the same. We’re approaching our third straight year of economic downturn, and supplies of heating oil are overflowing, so much so that the early snowy cold spell isn’t expected to make much of a dent. Still, many forecasts show consumers paying more for their heating oil this year than they did in 2008 – when, by the way, it was hardly cheap.
Low demand and high prices: It’s a paradox indeed, but it’s not a mystery. Heating oil prices rise when crude oil prices rise. And here in the U.S., crude prices rise for all sorts of reasons, usually reasons that have little to do with supply or demand, or even the weather. Like so much of the oil we consume, the explanation for those persistently high winter heating prices is located far from home.
Wishing you a warm holiday.
Tags: CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, domestic energy, energy prices, energy security, energy supply, natural gas, oil
Posted in CEABlog | No Comments »
Silent majorities and dressing for success
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
You might have seen some news coverage lately about protesters dressed in cute salmon costumes and even cuter polar bear costumes, who delivered with much ceremony, bags of letters to the Interior Department in Washington D.C. that argued against new offshore drilling in the U.S. By the protesters’ own count, 250,000 letters, postcards, and whatnot were delivered.
There was another story that went largely unreported: The Interior Department received an even larger number of letters supporting responsible exploration and production. For the record, more than 360,000 Americans have sent letters of the pro-responsible drilling variety to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar over the past six months. To date, these letters account for more than 60 percent of the comments received by Interior.
That’s a significant margin, and all the more so when you consider the nature of the debate. Let’s face it: In the court of public opinion, oil often faces an uphill battle. It’s easy to call yourself an environmentalist and jump on an anti-oil bandwagon without really knowing all the facts. It can take more time and work to consider the country’s significant energy needs and develop an informed stance on how we meet them.
So first of all, Thank You! For months, CEA has been working on this blog and elsewhere to organize support for responsible offshore drilling. The matter has been in legal limbo since earlier this year, when lawmakers enacted a series of barriers that effectively reversed President Bush’s move to lift an 18-year ban on offshore drilling on most of the country’s outer continental shelf.
In recent months, supporters of producing oil domestically and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil have won a few battles, but a larger war on this matter wages. CEA is heartened by the volume of letters sent in support of our position. It underscores not just that there is a silent majority out there, but that a lot of people care deeply about energy independence.
So then, why is it that majority is so often a silent one to the media? Because polar bears do have a lot of appeal. No matter if polar bears are not really at the core of this debate. No matter if they were just polar bear costumes. No matter if those protesters enjoying an early Halloween drove all the way to Washington in cars that run on oil. They play well on TV.
You can entertain ways that our side might dress for comparable success, or comparable media attention, but we haven’t come up with anything really catchy yet. Perhaps this is because the image of responsible oil production and energy independence is really just the image of everyday people going about their business with a little more ease and a little less strain. It’s the image of the family that is not forced to cut back on food to pay for heating oil, of the worker who doesn’t pay excessive amounts of his paycheck on his commute, of the trucker who isn’t taken into the red by filling up at the pump.
If any readers out there can think of an image that might overshadow the salmon costume in Washington, please let us know. Until then, we hope you’ll continue the quiet battle for the attention of our lawmakers. Know that your voices are being heard, even if your attire goes unnoticed.
Tags: CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, Consumer Energy Alliance, Consumer Energy Issues, Department of the Interior, energy, energy policy, energy prices, energy security, energy supply, gas, Obama, ocs, offshore, oil, Secretary Salazar
Posted in CEABlog | 2 Comments »
CEA August 2009 Newsletter
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
CEA Newsletter
Issue 29
Message from CEA President David Holt
Last month marked the first anniversary of the withdrawal from the 18-year old presidential moratorium on domestic offshore energy production by President Bush. Though the lifting of the offshore oil & gas drilling ban was a momentous decision, we are still no closer to accessing our vital offshore energy reserves than we were last July. We must continue to work toward a national energy policy that fully leverages America’s abundant offshore energy resources into new jobs, revenue and security for American energy consumers.
As we have often said before – while expanding the use of alternative energy through greater development of wind, solar, nuclear and other energy sources is the ultimate goal, we need to ensure that access to our abundant oil and natural gas resources is achieved as we continue to build that bridge to the future. Further, we have to guarantee that these energy resources are secure and affordable if we have any hope of seeing the national economy rebound.
By curbing our demand, increasing our supplies, especially from conventional energy resources along our coasts, we can reduce our dependence on foreign and unstable regions of the world to keep our economy moving. American families and small businesses deserve policies from the federal government that will actually deliver affordable, efficient and reliable energy. Opening up our offshore areas for responsible energy development is a step in that direction, and Consumer Energy Alliance is proud to tell our federal government that we support offshore oil & gas drilling, as well as offshore alternative energy development.
Please join our efforts and tell the Administration that you support sensible energy production off of our coasts too (click here to send in a letter).
David Holt
President
Support U.S. Offshore Oil & Gas Development!
A significant domestic supply of energy can be safely and efficiently found right here off of America’s shores. The federal government 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!
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 the federal government.
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!
CEA Blog: Good for the economy, good for the environment (and not a bad deal for consumers, either)
Check out CEA’s recent blog entry about the government’s cash for clunkers program. Join the conversation at CEA’s website. Read blog…
Consumer Corner: Standby Power
Did you know that many electrical products use energy when plugged in, even if turned off? As you read this, many of your own household appliances and conveniences are using “standby power” – the term for using energy when plugged in, yet not in use.
Standby Power is costly to consumers – about 10 percent of household electricity use is due to standby-powered electronics. At any time, the average home in the United States has 40 products constantly using power without the homeowner realizing it.
To save on home electricity bills and reduce wasteful standby power use, try these tips from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:
Unplug devices that aren’t being used
Use power strips to cut power to groups of electronics at one time
Purchase low-use standby products
Using tips such as these – and more found here – may save you up to 30 percent of the wasted energy being used in your home.
CEA being honored by Bering Omega Community Services
Consumer Energy Alliance is proud to act as the honorary chair for Bering Omega Community Services’ 15th annual SING FOR HOPE on September 19, 2009. The event will feature an intimate evening of classic opera arias and popular showstoppers from favorite musicals.
Proceeds raised by the event will help support Bering Omega’s efforts to provide compassionate healthcare and social services to people living with HIV/AIDS.
If you would like more information on Bering Omega and will be in the Houston area on September 19th, please visit Bering Omega’s website at www.beringomega.org.
Experts: Global Oil “Crunch” Possible Within Next Five Years
Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol warned Monday that oil fields throughout the world have passed peak production and that an oil “crunch” could develop during upcoming years. Read article…
Asia Sets its Sights on Solar Power
India and China are pursuing aggressive plans to step up their solar energy programs. Read article…
Affiliate Spotlight: American Public Gas Association
Representing publicly- and community-owned gas utilities, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) has more than 700 members throughout 36 states.
“We advocate on issues that impact our members and the communities they serve. We also work across the nation to educate our members on best safety practices, legislative issues, effective business and operational strategies and host conferences promoting the benefits of natural gas as a responsible and efficient energy source,” says President and CEO Bert Kalisch.
APGA’s vision is to be the voice and choice of public gas. In conjunction, the non-profit’s mission is to be an advocate for publicly-owned natural gas systems and effectively educate and communicate with members to promote safety, awareness, performance and competitiveness.
“As an advocate for public natural gas systems we work on behalf of our members to fight for the issues that affect their businesses and customers. From, transparency issues to supply issues, from the affordability of natural gas to promoting its environmental benefits – energy affects all of us,” Kalisch maintains.
One energy issue that is currently top priority to APGA, according to Kalisch, is promoting immediate use and responsible development of renewable and clean burning fossil fuels such as natural gas.
“We have a plentiful supply of natural gas available in the U.S and it is our hope that future energy plans include this clean, responsible and comfortable choice of fuel.”
APGA’s number one goal is to bring natural gas prices back to a long-term affordable level, Kalisch emphasizes.
“Increasing supply is a critical component of the solution to obtaining this goal. The primary reason we have suffered the price increases we have experienced is a natural gas supply/demand imbalance, supply has not been able or allowed to keep pace with demand.”
The imbalance, in large part, is due to federal policies which restrict exploration and production of natural gas.
“This restriction is ironic in light of other federal policies which favor gas use because of its clean-burning properties,” Kalisch maintains, adding that APGA is extremely concerned that congressional efforts to enact climate change legislation will further exacerbate the demand/supply balance.
“Under climate change legislation, natural gas will most likely become the ‘fuel of choice’ for electricity generation and this will further drive up price unless there are equivalent increases in supply.”
As a member of Consumer Energy Alliance, APGA recognizes the need for a strong U.S. energy policy and responsible development of domestic energy.
“We believe in the power of strength in numbers. That belief is the heart of our association and we believe that being a part of a group like the CEA just strengthens our likeminded messages,” Kalisch notes. “All of the affiliates in CEA may not have identical agendas or platforms, but we all understand the country’s incredible need for a comprehensive energy solution. Together as a group we can work together to move our collective agendas forward and finally see a U.S. energy policy that works for America, its citizens, energy producers and our planet.”
For more information on the American Public Gas Association, visit www.apga.org.
Tags: blog, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, congress, Consumer Energy Alliance, Department of the Interior, energy, energy policy, energy prices, energy security, exploration, gas, offshore, oil
Posted in CEA News | 4 Comments »
CEA: Russian, Cuban Offshore Energy Production Agreement Must Send Strong Message to Washington
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
WASHINGTON – August 4, 2009 Reports have surfaced that Russia and Cuba have struck a multi-million dollar deal that will, in part, expand energy production in Cuban waters. According to Reuters, “Russia and Cuba have signed contracts that “set the bases” for Russian oil company Zarubezhneft to search for oil in Cuba’s part of the Gulf of Mexico.” Michael Whatley, Vice President of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), issued this statement:
“As officials in Moscow and Havana work to expand energy production just miles from the Florida Keys, vast amounts of American energy resources – both on and offshore – remain padlocked by the federal government.
“Actions are underway, though, in Washington that may affect what domestic resources American consumers can access. Ken Salazar, secretary of the Interior, is readying a proposal that could ultimately determine where offshore energy production could occur. It is vital that Secretary Salazar’s five-year outer continental shelf development plan opens our waters for responsible, 21st century energy development, especially in Alaska’s resource-rich seas.
“As small businesses continue to struggle to make payroll and keep their doors open, and as families are forced to make difficult decisions and tighten their belts, we must move forward with policies that reduce energy costs across the board. What our economy, and our nation, desperately need from Washington is commonsense, supply-focused energy plans that ensure environmental safety, and that American consumers have access to affordable, reliable, and efficient energy.”
Read More:
- Under the headline “Global economy at risk from oil price rise,” the Financial Times report this yesterday: “The world economy cannot sustain any further rise in the oil price, the International Energy Agency’s chief economist warned as oil prices rose toward a record high for the year. Fatih Birol told the Financial Times that prices higher than about $70 could dampen a world economic recovery. “If we go one step further, if we see prices go much higher than that, we may see it slow down and strangle economic recovery,” he said of oil prices on Friday.”
- The Southeast Energy Alliance, the southeastern chapter of CEA, released a study on the economic impact that responsible offshore energy development could have on the state of North Carolina. Among its key findings, the report found that offshore oil and gas exploration could create more than 6,700 new jobs in the state, increase North Carolina’s GDP by $659 million a year, and generate approximately $148 billion in federal, state and local revenues. Click HERE to view the report.
Tags: Add new tag, Cuba, energy, energy policy, energy security, energy supply, government, ocs, offshore, oil, Russia, Southeast Energy Alliance
Posted in CEA News | No Comments »
Outlines of New Offshore Energy Plan Signal Government’s Interest in Delivering Affordable, Secure Energy
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
HOUSTON – January 16, 2009 David Holt, president of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), issued the following statement this afternoon on the outline of a new five-year energy plan released today by the federal government, one that takes meaningful steps to keep prices low at home, while rolling back our dependence on foreign energy:
“As our economy begins the long road back to recovery, news today of the government’s intent to partner up with energy consumers across the country to deliver the resources we need is a welcome development – and one that will ensure our current economic downturn is both temporary and contained. For far too long, access to affordable energy was considered a given. The events of this past summer taught us differently, and today’s announcement by the Interior Department provides the first real indication that we’ve learned our lesson and are finally prepared to act on it.
“There’s never a bad time to get behind a plan to create new jobs, generate new revenue, and provide affordable, reliable energy to the people who need it. But rarely has there been a more important time. Now is the time to act, and this is the blueprint to follow.”
CEA is a non-profit, non-partisan energy consumer group that has long advocated a national energy policy that focuses on creating a diverse portfolio of energy supplies, from wind to solar to biofuels to petroleum and clean-burning natural gas.
With more than 100 affiliated organizations and thousands of consumer-advocates, CEA’s mission is to expand the dialogue between the consuming and energy sectors to improve overall understanding of energy security and the thoughtful development and utilization of energy resources to help create sound energy policy and maintain stable energy prices for consumers.
Tags: biofuels, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, Department of the Interior, energy policy, energy prices, energy security, foreign energy, government, natural gas, oil, petroleum, solar, wind
Posted in CEA News | Comments Off
IPAMS Expresses Concern Over Senate Bill on Energy Security, Climate Change
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States
News Release
Date: January 14, 2008
Contact: Jon Haubert
(303) 623-0987
jhaubert@ipams.org
First Week: Congress Deals Blow to Energy Security, Climate
Passage of S. 22 will impede domestic energy development, hinder goals of increasing energy security and decreasing carbon footprint
(DENVER)- The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS) expressed concern over the 111th Congress’ apparent lack of interest in helping President-elect Obama achieve his twin goals of increasing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“By further restricting access to the abundant, domestic, and clean natural gas in the Intermountain West, the U.S. Senate is sending a clear message to President-elect Obama and to the American people— ‘We have no interest in increasing energy security and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Marc W. Smith, IPAMS Executive Director.
While most Americans are anxious about the faltering economy and rising unemployment rates, today the Senate moved forward on S. 22, Public Lands Omnibus Bill, which restricts the development of energy resources on federal lands, and puts into place another layer of bureaucracy by creating the National Landscape Conservation System. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) brought the bill to a vote under an obscure rule that circumvented the committee process and did not give new members of Congress the chance to debate or amend the bill. The NLCS is also the subject of a Department of Interior Inspector General investigation into possible illegal coordination between lobbyists for environmental groups and federal officials.
“It is unconscionable to pass a 1,294 page bill just a week after new members of Congress were sworn in,” said Smith. “Clearly there has been no deliberative process or thoughtful consideration of the consequences of this bill.”
“Congress should have taken more time to analyze the impact of this broad-sweeping legislation on domestic energy production before it acted. The Intermountain West is a critical energy supplier to the country, contributing 27% of the nation’s natural gas. America’s dual goal of increasing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions simply cannot be achieved if Congress continues to restrict domestic energy development,” concluded Smith.
Natural gas production on public lands in the Intermountain West will become even more important as President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress seek to fulfill their campaign promises of making our nation less dependent on foreign sources of energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ninety-seven percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. is produced in North America (27 percent of it in the West), and since it emits just over half the CO2 of coal, we will need even more natural gas in order to reduce our carbon footprint in coming years.
S. 22 also creates a whole new Federal lands classification for National Heritage Areas (NHA) that would extend National Park Service jurisdiction beyond national park and monument boundaries, and sets aside the energy-rich Wyoming Range, where enormous supplies of domestic, clean natural gas are located.
“Less than six months ago, Congress wouldn’t have dared restrict domestic energy development. Since then, prices have fallen with reduced world demand and increased supplies of domestic natural gas. Even so, the underlying challenges of energy security remain. Placing even more lands off limits will limit where natural gas, wind, and other clean sources of energy can be produced.”
“It’s important for Congress to remember that natural gas development is a very small and temporary impact on our federal lands. Independent energy producers go above and beyond the literally thousands of environmental regulations now in place to ensure that wildlife and the environment are protected. The energy resources located beneath these lands belong to all of us, and Congress should allow them to be developed for the benefit of all Americans,” concluded Smith.
###
The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS), founded in 1974, is a non-profit trade association representing more than 400 independent natural gas and oil producers, service and supply companies, banking and financial institutions and industry consultants committed to environmentally responsible oil and natural gas development in the Intermountain West. More information on IPAMS and its members is available at www.ipams.org.
Tags: carbon, carbon footprint, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, climate, congress, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, Department of Interior, domestic, energy, energy security, environmental groups, federal land, greenhouse gas, Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, IPAMS, National Heritage Areas, National Landscape Conservation System, National Park Service, natural gas, NHA, NLCS, Obama, Public Lands Omnibus Bill
Posted in Affiliate News | Comments Off
Consumer Energy Alliance Unveils MORE ENERGY NOW! Campaign and Website
Saturday, November 29th, 2008
HOUSTON – SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), a non-profit, non-partisan energy consumer advocacy group, unveiled a new national campaign and website for MORE ENERGY NOW! today.
“The United States is in the midst of an energy crisis. We face high prices at the pump, domestic energy resources that are off limits and no real plan to develop a comprehensive energy policy that provides Americans with the energy they need. In short, we need more energy now,” said CEA President David Holt.
“The MORE ENERGY NOW! campaign aims to educate and mobilize concerned stakeholders about the need for balanced energy policy that calls for responsible access to all domestic energy resources, accelerated use of alternatives and renewable energy resources, as well as improved energy efficiency and conservation,” Holt said, “The MORE ENERGY NOW! website increases our ability to effectively communicate with consumers and promptly deliver letters to members of Congress about the importance of more energy now.”
The MORE ENERGY NOW! website includes information on energy issues and domestic resources and has an enhanced support feature where site visitors can send letters to their Congressional representatives about the need for a balanced energy policy that ensures greater domestic energy production and energy security.
Site visitors can also find a link to Consumer Energy Alliance where they can join CEA for free and sign up for monthly newsletters, updates and calls-to-action, as part of their national pro-energy campaign efforts.
CEA’s mission is to expand the dialogue between the consuming and energy sectors to improve overall understanding of energy security and the thoughtful development and utilization of energy resources to help create sound energy policy and maintain stable energy prices for consumers.
For more information on MORE ENERGY NOW!, visit www.moreenergynow.org.
Tags: CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, congress, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, domestic resources, energy, energy policy, energy security, stable energy prices
Posted in CEA News | Comments Off
Consumer Energy Alliance Appears Before Congressional Energy Forum
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), a non-profit, non-partisan energy consumer advocacy group, appeared before a Congressional energy forum hosted by Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, on Capitol Hill today to discuss the impacts of high energy prices across all economic sectors.
“I was honored to appear before Representative Barton’s energy forum on behalf of CEA and discuss the impacts of high energy prices and possible solutions to improve U.S. energy policy,” said Michael Whatley, vice president of CEA.
CEA hosted its inaugural Energy Forum on Capitol Hill last week in conjunction with the release of its energy price impact publication, “The Impact of High Energy Prices on Key Consumer Sectors of the U.S. Economy”.
With almost 60 Members of Congress on its Host Committee, the forum featured remarks from Congressional representatives and representatives from both the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns, as well as leaders from key consuming sectors of the economy, who addressed Energy Forum attendees about the impacts that high energy costs are having on consumers and ways in which high energy costs could be alleviated. The forum also featured an in-depth discussion of CEA’s energy price impact publication.
“Every sector of the U.S. economy is affected by high energy prices. Consumer Energy Alliance believes that our energy price impact publication provides a good summary of information from key consuming sectors on how energy prices are negatively impacting their respective markets — from airlines to trucking to retirees to small business — and the overall economy. In short, all the members of CEA agree: America needs long-term national energy security and reasonable prices for energy consumers,” said Whatley.
CEA’s energy price impact publication, “The Impact of High Energy Prices on Key Consumer Sectors of the U.S. Economy”, is available on its website at www.consumerenergyalliance.org.
In the coming months, CEA will provide additional reports outlining the impacts high energy prices have on the economy and possible solutions to meeting the U.S. energy challenge.
CEA’s mission is to expand the dialogue between the consuming and energy sectors to improve overall understanding of energy security and the thoughtful development and utilization of energy resources to help create sound energy policy and maintain stable energy prices for consumers
Tags: Capitol Hill, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, Committee on Energy & Commerce, congress, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, energy, Energy Forum, energy policy, energy prices, energy security, McCain, Obama, stable energy prices
Posted in CEA News | Comments Off