CHARLESTON, WV – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) today announced the start of a statewide campaign designed to educate West Virginia lawmakers, families and businesses about the unending benefits of energy and the central role it plays in their everyday lives and budgets.
CEA’s “Campaign for America’s Energy” will highlight the importance affordable, reliable energy plays in the lives of families and businesses nationally, and the consequences that result from bad policy decisions. CEA will continue to hold the energy industry in West Virginia and throughout its neighboring states to a higher safety standard, and recognize the need for continued innovation to advance environmental goals.
The launch of this national movement, aimed at changing the energy discussion, will give elected officials across the nation the opportunity to adopt new policies that support energy production and delivery. CEA also aims to bring greater awareness to how rejecting or delaying energy production and infrastructure hurts lower-income households and those on fixed incomes, like retirees.
The effort will comprise a full-scale awareness program that includes new educational websites, media, community and stakeholder outreach, targeted digital advocacy efforts, and grassroots events and activities.
The campaign comes at a time when, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, West Virginians spend nearly $3,960 annually per person on energy – nearly 10 percent of the state’s median household income. These expenses often saddle households and small businesses who can least afford them, including those in Ohio, Wetzel and Doddridge counties, and in Charleston and Parkersburg, for instance.
“We are at a crossroads where elected leaders throughout the state have a unique chance to support a balanced, responsible energy policy that satisfies the needs of all West Virginians,” Greg Kozera of Shale Crescent said. “CEA’s Campaign for America’s Energy will actively engage policymakers so they realize the opportunity West Virginia’s energy resources provide and how our energy needs can be met while also protecting the environment.”
“West Virginians shouldn’t have to choose between heating or cooling their homes, buying a meal, or filling a medical prescription, yet for too many, that’s precisely what’s happening – and energy costs are a big reason why,” said Chris Ventura, executive director of CEA-Midwest. “Yes, we agree: We must push energy companies to innovate, reduce emissions, and improve performance. Protecting and improving the environment is a must-do. But so is lowering the cost of energy, and we can only do this if Democrats and Republicans work together to push balanced legislation.”
CEA, an advocacy organization representing many different types of consumers like families, manufacturers, agriculture, transporters, distributors, energy producers, renewables and various other industries in West Virginia and across the U.S., focuses on helping ensure stable prices, energy security, and balanced energy policy for those consumers across the country. The organization pushes energy companies to innovate and improve performance while supporting energy independence and a diversification of our energy resources, including renewables like solar and wind.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.consumerenergyalliance.org/campaign-for-americas-energy/West-Virginia.
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) brings together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers and manufacturers to support America’s energy future. With more than 450,000 members nationwide, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households across the country. We believe energy development is something that touches everyone in our nation, and thus it is necessary for all of us to actively engage in the conversation about how we develop our diverse energy resources and energy’s importance to the economy. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.
Contact:
Emily Haggstrom
P: 720-582-0242
ehaggstrom@consumerenergyalliance.org
