One of the region’s representatives, Mesa County (Colorado) Commissioner Rose Pugliese testified:
“The Jordan Cove project is a great economic driver for our northwest Colorado communities and will help stabilize our economies from fluctuations in the oil and gas market for over 20 years. It also helps us to then continue to diversify our economies and make our counties fiscally stronger.”
Read more – Rio Blanco Herald-Times
With demand for natural gas continuing to increase in eastern Pennsylvania, CEA’s Mike Butler expresses why it is vital lawmakers continue pipeline projects like the Adelphia Pipeline to increase capacity and meet demand.
Yet the region doesn’t have the pipeline infrastructure it needs to keep up with energy demand and production — a mounting concern that, if not adequately addressed, could cost the region 78,000-plus jobs and $7.6 billion in GDP by 2020.
Read more – Lehigh Valley Live
CEA’s Mike Butler explains why plans from Mayor Bill Peduto’s call to divest from fossil fuels actually means disinvestment in our workers, communities, and businesses.
Over half of the region’s economic growth came from the state’s booming energy sector, driven by the Marcellus Shale. Resources like cleaner-burning natural gas are must-haves for heating our homes, keeping the lights on in hospital operating rooms and powering the boilers in our factories.
Read more – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
CEA’s Midwest Director Chris Ventura discusses why drivers might begin to see a higher price at the pump as the tax hike takes effect.
Increases in the state’s gas and diesel fuel taxes went into effect July 1. Local gas stations overnight saw a small increase in pump prices, by no more than a few pennies.
Read more – Wtap
Colorado State Senator, Ray Scott and Mesa County Commissioner, Rose Pugliese explain why the Western States and Tribal Nations initiative to export natural gas is not only good for those immediately involved, but geopolitics and environmental gains as well.
By exporting natural gas to our allies, especially in Eastern Europe, they will no longer be held hostage to the political whims of Russia — which has never been afraid to shut off the gas in the wintertime to punish countries. The fact that gas from our four Colorado counties, the Ute Indian Tribe, Utah and Wyoming can help our nation protect its allies makes our initiative even more crucial.
Read more – Daily Camera
EIA’s most recent 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey found that twenty-five percent of United States households nationwide are using only electricity. The increase in the number of all-electric homes is a trend as there has been an increase in each census region over the past decade. Thanks to technological advancements and low-cost natural gas, more and more homes are transitioning to all-electric.
While the nationwide average for home cooling costs last summer was $147.82 states like Arizona and New Jersey paid $200-300 more. For Arizona residents, summer cooling costs an average of $476.83 and in New Jersey, $326.65. Whether or not homeowners had their own solar or battery storage systems did not have much effect on the cost, as those with solar systems often overused their HVAC systems than they would otherwise. For states like New Jersey and New York with larger homes to cool naturally have higher cooling costs than the national average per resident.
A recently published Wood Mackenzie study estimates that switching to 100% renewable energy by 2030 will cost U.S. consumers $4.5 trillion. Plans like the proposed Green New Deal and renewable energy mandates could cost upwards of $35,000 per U.S. household to make the transition, a hefty price that not everyone can afford. To reach goals, renewable energy installation would have to produce more annual capacity each of the next eleven years than what has been installed collectively over the past two decades.
Wisconsin’s “Focus on Energy” energy-efficiency was found by a federal study to have achieved the highest rate of energy savings per dollar spent. Accounting for 29 million tons of avoided carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 6 million cars off the road a year, the program stands as a leader in energy efficiency. Focus on Energy is currently constructing a new high school with a geothermal energy system, a projected energy savings of 42% a year other equipment.
The Nevada utility NV Energy recently announced three new solar projects: Arrow Canyon Solar Project, Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center, and Gemini Solar + Battery Storage Project. The proposed projects would have a total generating capacity of 1200 MW and add an additional 590 MW of battery storage to the state. Based on Wood Mackenzie analysts, the Gemini Solar + Battery Storage Project would be the largest U.S. solar project.
New report from the Manhattan Institute, “Out of Gas: New York’s Blocked Pipelines Will Hurt Northeast Consumers” says blocking vital pipeline infrastructure will continue to halt gas services to households. Although natural gas remains an affordable fuel source insufficient pipeline capacity has already led to 43 communities and 800,000 New York residents denied access to gas services, as of February 2019.
A recent Wood Mackenzie study estimates that switching to 100% renewable energy by 2030 will cost U.S. consumers $4.5 trillion, assuming the engineering needed is even feasible. Proposed plans to reach the ambitious goal like renewable energy mandates could cost upwards of $35,000 per U.S. household to make the transition, a hefty price that not everyone can afford, especially those living paycheck to paycheck or below the poverty line.
MEDFORD, OREGON — A delegation of 16 members from the Western States and Tribal Nations and Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), a national advocate for energy consumers, today gave comments at a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hearing in Medford in support of the Jordan Cove Natural Gas Project.
The hearing is part of FERC’s process to take comments from the public on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the project, which includes a proposed 229-mile connector pipeline from near Malin, Oregon, to a planned natural gas liquefaction plant in Coos Bay, Oregon.
The goal is to export the cleaner-burning natural gas produced in basins spanning Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and the Ute Tribal Nation, including the Piceance, Uintah and Green River basins, to Asian markets that now use dirtier fuel sources to meet their energy needs.
Members of the delegation from government bodies in all three states gave comments demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of Jordan Cove to not only their communities, but the United States and the world.
Bart Haslem, County Commissioner, Uintah County, Utah, said:
“We can argue about global warming and climate change, but the facts are pollution is real. There is no arguing that. It knows no boundaries and doesn’t stop at state, county or country lines. It becomes a world problem. We have natural gas that is stranded and not used so it is being flared or vented to no benefit. We could be shipping this gas to other countries to replace other dirtier sources of energy and receive the benefits to our economies and environment.”
Rose Pugliese, County Commissioner for Mesa County, Colorado, said:
“The Jordan Cove project is a great economic driver for our northwest Colorado communities and will help stabilize our economies from fluctuations in the oil and gas market for over 20 years. It also helps us to then continue to diversify our economies and make our counties fiscally stronger.”
Bryan Hassler, Executive Director of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority, said:
“Minerals are a tremendous resource in the State of Wyoming and continue to help create jobs. This project helps Wyoming move its resources to the markets that can generate the greatest benefit for the most people, through tax revenues and the export of cleaner-burning natural gas to countries that need it to lower their carbon emissions.”
Eric Carlson, Executive Director of the Western Slope West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said:
“This is a critical opportunity of the future of natural gas in the Piceance Basin, because it capitalizes on existing infrastructure that is underutilized.”
Jim Gleason of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Western District, said:
“Approval of this project would not only create jobs as carpenters and millwrights for people transitioning out of the coal industry, but training opportunities for tribal youth and other residents of rural Colorado and Utah. This would create hundreds of jobs in the state of Oregon, including 211 permanent jobs, not to mention ongoing maintenance and service on the pipeline and the plant. This is a winning project for the West.”
The Ute Tribal Business Committee, which did not attend the event, said:
“The Ute Indian Tribe supports Jordan Cove in its application before the FERC. The Tribe encourages support and collaboration to make the Jordan Cove LNG project a reality, because it will promote responsible environmental stewardship by producing cleaner-burning natural gas to be sold to countries across Asia that now use much dirtier fuels. At home, the project will advance tribal self-determination and boost economic development not only for our tribe, but for every community involved in the project,” the Ute Tribal Business Committee said in a statement.
The full list of attendees who gave comments:
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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 500,000 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:
Bryson Hull
P: 202-657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org
Irresponsible Lawsuit Will Create Chaos for Fuel Deliveries and Raise Energy Prices
LANSING – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) today expressed its deep concern over the political decision by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to file a lawsuit to immediately shutdown Line 5 – a critical pipeline that provides Michiganders more than 540,000 barrels of fuel a day and supplies the majority of the propane the Upper Peninsula relies on.
In response, CEA’s Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura issued the following statement:
“It is disappointing that some of our elected officials continue to use any means necessary to delay the good faith attempts to protect our Great Lakes, protect our union jobs that support Michigan families, and protect consumers from increasing energy bills. This latest action puts the vital energy supplies of the state of Michigan and the Midwest at risk.
“If the Michigan Attorney General pursues this action, it will ultimately leave Michigan families and businesses with no sensible alternative to receive the energy we rely on.”
“As independently commissioned state studies have clearly shown, shutting down Line 5 will lead to supply disruptions and higher energy costs for Michiganders. Without pipelines, replacing this energy can only be done by adding tens of thousands of trucks on our roads, thousands of rail cars passing through our cities, and new oil-carrying barges and tankers on our Great Lakes.”
“Families, farmers, and factories across Michigan need responsible solutions, not politically-motivated litigation that ignores the economic and environmental realities we face to secure our shared environment and the future of our state.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading consumer advocate for energy, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households and businesses across the country. CEA works daily to encourage people across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our energy needs.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
P: 202-657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org
