BATON ROUGE, LA – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading voice for sensible energy policies for families and businesses, applauds the Louisiana legislature for passing SB 492, which prohibits a parish or municipality from imposing unnecessary and senseless restrictions on the use of clean natural gas, offering families and businesses consistent and transparent rules for future energy service as well as much-needed consumer protections. CEA Gulf Coast Director Kaitlin Schmidtke said:
“We applaud the Louisiana legislature’s action to proactively stand up for families and allow households and businesses to have responsible energy choices. Actions by anti-energy activists to restrict natural gas in several California and New York communities only serve to harm consumers, families and small businesses during this time of unprecedented economic uncertainty. If parishes or municipalities are allowed to embrace this overzealous agenda, Louisiana households will see a senseless and unworkable patchwork of confusing energy policies – and higher energy prices.”
“Pipelines are vital for Louisiana because they provide billions each year in local and state revenue and help to keep Louisiana workers employed using Louisiana produced energy. States, families and businesses need energy choices and security, not unnecessary restrictions – especially during these trying times when Louisianans are faced with reviving the economy in the wake of the pandemic. That’s why CEA urges Gov. Edwards to promptly sign SB 492 into law and to follow the example of the legislature working together for the greater good and economic health of our state.”
“Energy helps power every imaginable American industry, and during this time of increased economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 virus, we are reminded of the importance of providing our neighbors and communities with affordable, reliable energy supplies that can also serve to improve our environmental progress and lower emissions. With governments and industry working together to offer sensible, environmentally-positive solutions to our energy challenges, we can utilize a sensible mix of energy sources including renewables while still keeping prices affordable and services reliable for everyone.”