CEA’s Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Mike Butler addresses the misleading arguments elected officials are now using against modernizing our energy infrastructure and how they harm the public discourse.
It’s time the public heard the truth about pipelines and demand more from their officials. Stop the fear mongering and let’s work together for balanced solutions that benefit everyone statewide. Pipelines can help us enjoy a more affordable and cleaner energy future.
Read more – NJ.com
CEA’s Chris Ventura discusses the harmful economic and environmental consequences of the Keep It in the Ground movement, and what that would mean for Ohio.
This damage is courtesy of the “Keep It in the Ground” movement engineered by a small but vocal group of extremists who falsely pit the development of our natural resources against our collective desire for a cleaner environment, when we can have both. Case in point: In 2017, the U.S. reduced its carbon emissions by 0.5 percent, the most of all major countries. Greenhouse-gas emissions also have declined 2.7 percent since 2016.
Recently, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state of New York irresponsibly denied a permit which would allow for the construction of a new pipeline that will create over 1,200 jobs and provide new funding for schools across multiple states.
The Northern Access project will support new and growing employment at National Fuel, in addition to good-paying local jobs within the building trades during construction, and is estimated to increase annual property tax receipts by $11.8 million for four New York counties, with an additional one-time sales tax impact of $6.6 million for the same four New York counties.
Read more – Olean Times Herald
CEA President David Holt commented on the recent CEA analysis finding that just one part of the Green New Deal would cost families across the nation over $244 billion just to replace four common appliances.
“The Green New Deal is not a practical solution for American consumers…
…Many common household appliances including furnaces, water heaters, stoves and dryers are powered by abundant, affordable energy resources including natural gas, which the proposal aims to eliminate,” Holt said.
Read more – The Daily Caller
David Holt, CEA’s President, addresses the recent increase in extremists attempting to sabotage or tamper with America’s energy infrastructure – and the real, deadly consequences that can result from their disregard for the environment and human life.
At the start of the month, four anti-development extremists were booked for breaking into a fenced area southeast of Grand Rapids, Minn., and attempting to shut off an oil pipeline.
Their reasoning, they said in a statement, was “to take personal responsibility for preventing the dangerous expansion of the oil industry, because governments and regulators have failed to do so.”
What was really dangerous were their actions, which put lives and the environment at risk under the alleged justification that it’s their “right” to speak out and dissent. Targeting critical infrastructure for destruction or industrial sabotage should not be masqueraded as acceptable behavior to express freedom of speech.
It’s flat-out terrorism.
Read more – Newsmax
Consumer Group Examines Benefits of Energy Production to Maryland’s Families, Small Businesses, Manufacturers and Industries in New Report
Baltimore, M.D. — Thanks to increased production and safer, state-of-the-art technologies – which together have decreased the price of natural gas – Maryland’s families and businesses saved more than $8.5 billion between 2006 and 2016, according to a state report released by Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), with calculations developed by Oion Strategies.
Households saved over $4.5 billion and commercial and industrial users saved more than $3.9 billion, according to the report, titled, “Natural Gas Build’s Maryland’s Economy.” The report comes as the Maryland Legislature has been considering anti-pipeline bills this session that would put families, seniors, and households at risk of higher energy prices, and supply shortfalls. CEA’s report highlights the incredible savings consumers have enjoyed with enhanced supplies, all of which depend on safe, secure, and reliable pipelines in Maryland.
The analysis details how the national and local energy revolution has helped local energy consumers increase disposable income, job growth, and economic investment while revitalizing communities. It also details how Maryland’s lack of availability of its own resources creates a reliance on energy infrastructure to ensure affordable energy can be delivered into the state. As a result, it is critical that families and businesses work with local and state governments to guarantee that future Marylanders are able to continue to count on domestic energy and the pipeline networks that deliver it to their homes and businesses.
Highlights from the report include:
“This report demonstrates how Maryland families and businesses who use energy benefit from maintaining an all-of-the-above energy strategy that continues to emphasize the growth of all resources as well as the expansion of all nationally, but especially here in Maryland,” CEA’s Mid-Atlantic Director Mike Butler said. “Access to energy supports just about everything that’s done across Maryland and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.”
Butler continued: “Whether through business, commerce, or at home, when we turn on our lights or even our heaters this winter, we all depend on energy. Marylanders need to understand how supporting productive energy policies can help lower energy costs for cash-strapped families and small businesses while also providing stronger opportunities for manufacturers and businesses to create jobs for those who need it most. Oftentimes good intentions don’t always make for good policies.”
Butler added: “We can see this playing out currently with Maryland’s pipeline network and potential future access to valuable offshore and onshore energy supplies under attack by anti-development activists, who continue working to eliminate the production and transportation of safe, affordable sources of energy. These anti-development efforts not only harm the environment, but they also lack solutions to help meet consumer demand and threaten our environmental goals. CEA strongly encourages Maryland’s elected leaders to continue their support for energy solutions which will ensure affordable, reliable energy for everyone.”
To view the report, click here.
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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:
Emily Haggstrom
P: 720-582-0242
ehaggstrom@consumerenergyalliance.org
About Orion Strategies
Orion Strategies is a strategic communications and public relations firm with a staff of experienced professionals in public relations, government affairs, grassroots advocacy, polling, research, and creative services.
Contact:
Brittany Ramos
P: 412-965-5379
bramos@orion-strategies.com
CEA’s Midwest Executive Director, Chris Ventura, talks about the latest extremist tactic designed to deny Minnesota’s families access to the energy they need to keep their bills affordable.
An out-of-touch environmental law firm is again utilizing extreme, perhaps-unscrupulous tactics to attempt to halt construction of the approved Line 3 pipeline. A one-of-a-kind resolution was recently drafted to, in the words of its authors, “recognize the legal rights of a plant species.” The species is the wild rice that Line 3 would crisscross far underground and not affect. The resolution calls for giving rice legal protections similarly held by people.
North Dakota has joined a growing number of states looking to secure critical energy infrastructure as a result of increasing attempts by extreme activists to sabotage or shut down our ability to deliver the energy families across the Midwest rely on.
The legislation says it’s illegal to damage energy facilities and other critical infrastructure facilities. It also would increase fines on organizations that conspire with individuals who tamper with infrastructure.
Read more – Associated Press
CEA’s Kevin Doyle explains how offshore energy production helps make energy costs more affordable for working families and seniors living on fixed incomes while providing for a secure energy future.
A more productive conversation would be to talk about how offshore energy — wind, oil and natural gas included — would help reduce these costs, create jobs, increase economic opportunities and lower tax burdens while funding municipal services like education, emergency personnel and road repairs. We can’t develop our offshore wind potential without conducting seismic examinations.
Unfortunately, some anti-energy activists are trying to stifle rational discussion about these important issues and how we can develop our energy under an array of regulations and assortment of technologies that’s second to none globally. That’s not doing anyone — particularly low-income, cash-strapped families — any good.
Read more – The Fayetteville Observer
Over the past few years, Consumer Energy Alliance has noted the importance of pipeline infrastructure modernization. The Washington Times added to the discussion by looking at the vital role of pipelines in our daily lives and what a lack of progress on upgrading our nation’s infrastructure means for different regions of the country.
When many of us think of infrastructure, roads, rail lines and airports probably come to mind. Few of us, however, consider the vital role America’s pipeline and energy infrastructure plays in our daily lives. Ideally, the pipeline network brings energy resources from refineries to and businesses. But in reality, in many places, the pipeline network is simply not developed sufficiently to meet the large and growing demand for energy.
Read more – The Washington Times
