Five Year Plan
CEA Praises Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Efforts on Expanding Domestic Offshore Energy Production
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
WASHINGTON – September 21, 2009 Following a letter from nearly 100 House Republicans, led by Reps. Doc Hastings (R-WA), Rob Bishop (R-UT), and Tom Price (R-GA), urging Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to move forward with a 5-Year offshore energy production plan that would expand safe American energy exploration, Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), along with 15 other House Democrats, wrote the secretary recommending that his agency open the outer continental shelf (OCS) for responsible offshore energy development. Today, a bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), penned a similar letter to Secretary Salazar.
David Holt, president of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates an “all of the above” approach to securing, reliable energy, issued this statement:
“Thanks to many of CEA’s thousands of grassroots supporters and a clear majority of the American public, a year ago, the federal government made positive, and long overdue, steps toward balancing the nation’s long-term energy policy through lifting decade-old bans on safe and effective offshore energy production here at home.
“CEA praises the strong bipartisan, bicameral commitment from the congressmen and senators who have taken the concerns of their constituents about affordable energy and access to American resources directly to Secretary Salazar. The groundswell of support for increased domestic energy production continues to grow, and, as an organization, we’re grateful for the steadfastness on this issues that so many members of Congress and senators continue to demonstrate.
“As the Interior Department’s public comment period on the 5-year OCS plan came to a close today, we are hopeful and encouraged that these congressional letters, as well as the hundreds of thousands of supportive comments from every day Americans, will resonate with Secretary Salazar as he and his agency move forward in crafting a blueprint for our offshore energy production goals over the next several years.
“Thousands of good-paying jobs, stable energy prices for small businesses, working-families and retirees and less dependence on unstable regions of the world to fuel our economy will result from the developing domestic oil and gas, and renewable energy offshore. At the same time, we must focus on harnessing more wind, solar, coal, hydro, nuclear, biofuels and other alternatives and renewable energy forms, while using what we have more wisely, too.”
Tags: 5-Year, American energy, bipartisan, Bishop, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, David Holt, domestic energy, Dorgan, drilling, energy, Five Year Plan, gas, Hastings, house, Hutchison, Minerals Management Service, MMS, offshore, oil, republicans, Salazar
Posted in CEA News | No Comments »
CEA: More Than 325,000 Americans Tell Secretary Salazar to “Show Us the Energy”
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Holt: “What we need now, and what these letters demand, is decisive action from this administration.”
WASHINGTON – September 22, 2009 More than 325,000 American people sent letters to Interior secretary Ken Salazar over the past six months urging his agency to expand responsible access to critical energy resources offshore, and Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) helped deliver more than 150,000 of them. As the public comment period on Interior’s Draft Proposed five-year energy plan came to a close this week, CEA president David Holt issued the following statement:
“The unified voices of Americans concerned with rising, unstable and increasingly unaffordable energy costs cannot be ignored. Thanks to the hard work of so many CEA supporters – as well as other organizations committed to advancing policies that help put our nation on a path toward energy security and affordability – Secretary Salazar will have overwhelming public support on his side if his agency and the administration decide to move forward with a commonsense plan that allows the American people to access more of the energy resources they need, demand and rightfully own.
“While the closure of this comment period marks a very early step in what is designed to be a long, deliberative process, the volume and intensity of public response on whether responsible offshore energy exploration should be part of our energy future suggests the status quo energy policies of the past will no longer be an option in the future. What we need now, and what these letters demand, is decisive action from this administration – not an effort to pocket veto these critical offshore energy resources.
“As the process of developing a forward-looking, supply-oriented five-year plan continues to move forward, CEA will remain active in leading the charge for an ‘all of the above’ approach to securing our energy future – a future that includes renewable energy, conventional energy, and a renewed focus on conservation. CEA and its broad-based membership including transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, small business, chemistry, restaurants, retirees and energy providers will continue to provide a platform for the American people to make their views and voices heard in Washington.”
NOTE: Click HERE to view CEA’s official comment letter to MMS.
Tags: 5-Year plan, CEA, Consumer Energy Alliance, drilling, energy, Five Year Plan, gas, Minerals Management Service, MMS, offshore, oil, Salazar
Posted in CEA News | 2 Comments »
CEA January 2009 Newsletter
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Issue 22
From the President
Consumer Energy Alliance is pleased to announce we have redesigned our website to increase our ability to effectively communicate with consumers and promptly deliver letters to members of Congress, the Administration and various regulatory agencies about the importance of balanced national energy policy – ultimately allowing us to be even more responsive to our Affiliate and grassroots members in 2009. You can view the new website at www.consumerenergyalliance.org.
In addition to a brand new look and feel, we have added more energy information and included the capability to post CEA Affiliate energy-related news & presentations. Specifically, the site’s reference library offers users the opportunity to look up useful research links to various government and regulatory websites, information on legislative & White House issues, as well as quick facts for energy consumers. The added news & presentations posting capability allows users to access a broader range of information on issues concerning energy consumers, end-users and producers. Users are also able to respond to calls-to-action, access our newsletters and press releases, as well as download our latest presentations and publications.
While we have all contributed to the national dialogue on energy, it continues to be very important that we educate and mobilize concerned stakeholders to help secure reliable and stable energy solutions – and the economic opportunities that a thoughtful energy policy provides.
CEA hopes this new website will encourage our Affiliate and grassroots members to continue supporting our effort in helping Washington develop a comprehensive energy strategy that properly balances the near-term use of oil and gas resources, the long-term development of alternative energy and enhanced energy efficiency. We ask that you remain an active part of our membership and possibly consider a modest donation to CEA through our website by clicking here.
In the coming months, CEA is looking to build a strong nationwide network of citizen and company supporters. It will be a challenge, but with your support we are confident we can achieve it.
In all, the key to moving our nation forward on energy is to make sure Congress and the next Administration make informed decisions. A strong grassroots effort focused on the thoughtful development and utilization of all of our domestic energy resources will do just that.
We all know that there is no silver bullet to fix today’s energy problems. How we meet our nation’s energy challenges is going to be an ongoing debate for many years and we look forward to working with you to meet those challenges. Your support is critical.
David Holt
President
Support Offshore Oil & Gas Development in Virginia!
The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) is seeking public comments in preparation for its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding potential energy development offshore Virginia. Comments will be accepted through January 13, 2009.
It is important that the MMS understand that opening up offshore Virginia to responsible energy development will play a critical role in creating a robust national energy policy and securing our energy future.
Support a New Five Year Plan 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 oil and natural gas resources contained in our offshore waters and wants to hear from you about offshore oil and gas development.
Opposition to offshore energy development is mounting. We need you to let Washington know you support reasonable accesss to America’s offshore energy resources.
Recent rise in oil prices due to OPEC cuts and tension in the Middle East
Oil prices have risen more than 40% since mid-December due to OPEC’s decision to cut supply and the growing conflict in the Middle East. Experts warn that a continuing rise in prices could hurt American consumers, who are already concerned about jobs and a sagging economy. Read article…
Dispute between Russia and the Ukraine impacts European gas supplies
A dispute over gas supplies between the Russian Federation and Ukraine has shut down heating systems in many parts of central Europe, as the export of Russian gas to the region is halted. Read article…
SEA/VMA Climate Change Forum discusses responsible path forward on carbon regulation
The Southeast Energy Alliance (SEA) and the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) hosted an important Climate Change Forum in Williamsburg, Virginia last month that featured a robust discussion on the climate change debate that will take place in Washington in 2009, the perspectives of stakeholders in the nuclear and natural gas production industries and a keynote address by Senator-Elect Mark Warner (D-VA).
Conducted in conjunction with VMA’s annual Industry Leadership Forum, the joint SEA-VMA event focused on the potential to reduce the costs of climate change regulations by increasing production of domestic natural gas, expanding nuclear generation and eliminating proposals to force all sectors of the economy to purchase carbon emissions credits at auction.
Speakers at the Climate Change Forum included David Holt of Consumer Energy Alliance, David Hudgins of the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Jeffry Vorberger of the National Ocean Industries Association, Libby Cheney of Shell, Brydon Ross, a senior aide to Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell.
Although there has been significant debate on the science and the merits of carbon emissions regulation over the last decade, Congress has failed to either have a serious legislative debate on the issue or pass any meaningful climate change legislation. During the 110th Congress, the Senate debated language sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Warner (R-VA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT), which could have negatively impacted our economy by restricting the use of coal to produce electricity without allowing expanded use of nuclear or natural gas based-generation. However, this legislation was criticized and eventually denied a vote on the Senate floor.
With the new Obama Administration and the new Congress, the likelihood of a major climate change debate – as well as passage of climate change legislation – has never been higher.
As we enter into 2009 in Washington this year, SEA will continue to work with its members and partners to ensure that any proposals to regulate carbon emissions are coupled with responsible policies that will minimize the societal costs of carbon reductions in order to prevent the economic harm likely to come if legislation like the Boxer-Warner-Lieberman bill is resurrected.
Tags: alternative energy, carbon, carbon emissions, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, climate, Climate Change Forum, coal, congress, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, domestic, EIS, electricity, energy, energy policy, Environmental Impact Statement, Europe, Five Year Plan, government, Industry Leadership Forum, Minerals Management Service, MMS, National Ocean Industries Association, natural gas, New Five Year Plan to Develop Offshore Oil & Gas Resources, nuclear, Obama, offshore oil, oil, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, OPEC, Russia, SEA, Southeast Energy Alliance, Ukraine, Virginia Manufacturers Association, VMA
Posted in CEA News | Comments Off
Consumer Energy Alliance Celebrates Victory as Congress Allows Moratorium on Offshore Drilling and Oil Shale Production to Expire
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Plans to fight against promised atttempts to ban energy development next year
HOUSTON – SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) celebrated Congress’ decision to allow access to domestic offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and oil shale resources.
“Consumer Energy Alliance applauds the Congressional decision to lift its long-standing ban on development of our abundant offshore oil & natural gas resources and domestic oil shale resources. This is a major step in the right direction. But it is the first step on a long path toward reducing our dependence on imported oil. We must continue to work for expanded drilling for oil & gas, increased use of alternative energy – including nuclear, solar, wind and biofuels – and enhanced energy efficiency and conservation,” said CEA President David Holt.
While the expiration of the 26-year ban on offshore drilling will allow for exploration and producation to take place off of the nation’s East and West coasts, it does not extend to the Gulf coast of Florida – where a ban on drilling was placed until 2022 as part of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. The government estimates that offshore waters contain an estimated 86 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas.
The expiration of the moratorium on oil shale production, which had been in place for a year, will allow for exploration of oil shale in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado – an area rich with resources estimated to be three times that of Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves.
“We need more energy now and our political leaders must move to quickly enact a comprehensive energy policy. On behalf of our affiliate organizations representing consumers, manufacturers, small business, agriculture, retirees and energy providers, CEA welcomes Congress’ decision as a significant first step toward an improved energy policy,” Holt said.
Though Congress allowed the ban on offshore drilling to expire this year as part of its response to rising energy prices and increased public support for drilling, several members of Congress have pledged to re-implement the bans as soon as possible in 2009 under the new Administration and with the support of several anti-energy campaigns.
In anticipation of efforts to reinstate the moratorium, CEA has already ramped up efforts to increase public support of a balanced energy policy that includes access to domestic oil and gas resources.
Just last month, CEA completed a campaign to gather comments in support of the establishment of a commercial oil shale program and launched the More Energy Now! national campaign and website. CEA continues to gather public support for the Department of Interior’s New Five Year Plan process, which could give the next administration a two-year advance in developing and expanding offshore energy production in federal waters.
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: alternative energy, biofuelss, CEA, CEA Energy Grass Roots, congress, conservation, Consumer Energy Alliance, consumer energy alliance grass roots, consumer energy alliance grassroots, Consumer Energy Issues, Department of Interior, domestic, energy, energy efficiency, energy policy, energy prices, exploration, Five Year Plan, gas, Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, natural gas, nuclear, ocs, offshore drilling, oil, oil shale, Outer Continental Shelf, solar, stable energy prices, wind
Posted in CEA News | Comments Off