Consumer Energy Alliance has always been and – and continues to be – one of the most pro-environment, pro-emission reduction organizations in North America.
Taking partial statements without providing context or nuance around highly technical policy issues, as was recently done in an item published on Sept. 28 in HuffPost that incorrectly characterized CEA as opposed to environmental regulations, is a gross distortion of our position and strong leadership on environmental stewardship.
CEA advocates for all forms of energy from renewable to traditional, and always fights for policies that balance the critical need for environmental stewardship with consumer access to affordable, reliable energy. A simple search of our public statements and website would show any interested writer that CEA has long held one of the most forward-thinking positions among North American organizations when it comes to balancing our environmental and energy policies.
America’s world-leading success in reducing emissions is proof that we can have energy production and affordable energy for our families, farmers and small businesses. We embrace the idea of the coming energy evolution, and believe that it is not a question of if, but how and when we transform our energy mix that will determine its ultimate success.
CEA is anything but an “astroturf” organization – we make no secret of our membership, which includes hundreds of thousands of individuals along with roughly 300 organizations and companies that span the breadth of the American economy; nor do we hide that fact that CEA’s Board has continued to retain HBW Resources to help with CEA’s management and support services.
CEA notes that two of the writers of the HuffPost item work for a group called “Unearthed,” which is a Greenpeace-funded organization designed to trick the gullible into believing their Astro-turf reporting is actual journalism. Unfortunately, it lacks two key ingredients – freedom from bias and fidelity to the facts.
Greenpeace is an advocacy organization like CEA and has the democratic right to push for the policies and positions it so chooses. But it is the height of hypocrisy and disingenuousness to characterize CEA as an “astroturf” organization through what is clearly an organized, well-funded smear attempt that is rife with falsehoods and being carried out by an arm of its public relations machine, masquerading as journalists. Further, a quick examination of CEA’s position would reveal that CEA and Greenpeace share some similar objectives.
Readers should be made aware that what is being passed off as investigative journalism includes two writers whose opinions are bought and paid for by their employer.
While our objectives may be similar, CEA’s approach on how to achieve energy and environmental balance will always factor in the economic and reliability needs of U.S. families and businesses.
This HuffPost item belongs in the opinion section, and mislabeling it as news does readers a disservice.
