Facebook Instagram Linkedin RSS Twitter Youtube

Add More Pipelines

Parents and child building blocks

CEA Mid-Atlantic’s Mike Butler discusses how New York’s bad policy decisions have led to unnecessarily high energy costs, and how Pennsylvania can avoid making the same mistake.

Pennsylvania leaders, many of whom work to thwart the gas industry, should look toward New York as a case of what could happen if the state runs out of the infrastructure it needs to heat and cool its own residence and businesses cost-effectively. We need more policies that promote the development and safe transportation of our energy, not just for the 1.6 million Pennsylvanians on food stamps in dire need of a fiscal break but for the thousands of businesses with razor-thin profit margins.

Read more – The Times Tribune

Florida Must Work to Cut Energy Expenses for Citizens, Lower-income Families

Woman stressed over bills

Kevin Doyle, CEA Florida’s Executive Director, and incoming Democrat Leader Senator Audrey Gibson, representing District 6, discussed the importance of affordable energy for Florida’s families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Far too many Floridians continue to share stories about how they’re struggling to pay for food, rent, mortgage and gas, among other necessities, forcing them to make uncomfortable choices like whether to pay this bill or that.

Why are we making these individuals and families choose?

Read more – Tallahassee Democrat

Let’s Re-examine Solar Energy Policies

Installing Solar Panels

CEA’s Brydon Ross recently discussed the importance of creating policies which ensure a sustainable future for solar energy in New Hampshire.

Nationally, solar generation grew over 40 percent between 2016 and 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy says. It was also the nation’s largest source of new power generation to come online in the first quarter of 2018. Since 2011, prices for solar installations alone have gone down some 70 percent. A recent analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that prices for utility-scale PV systems fell 30 percent in early 2017 from the previous year.

Read more – New Hampshire Business Review

Consumer Energy Alliance Warns of Dangers Political, Oil Instability Bring United States

Semi trucks on the road

CEA’s recent report, Fueling America’s Energy Consumers, detailing the importance of energy to transportation was recently highlighted by Daily Energy Insider.

Geopolitical crises and instability in oil prices are the main factors that could affect American ability to work, travel, buy goods and pay bills, according to “Fueling America’s Energy Consumers.” Such crises lead to higher transportation costs, which in turn raise operational expenses and overhead, and end up hurting businesses who end up passing that hurt onto consumers. The transportation sector is, after all, the largest energy-consuming segment of the United States.

Read more – Daily Energy Insider

It’s About Changing Your Lifestyle

Shopping for a refrigerator

As our country is embroiled in debates over energy, it’s important to remember – it’s not just what you use – it’s how you use it. Demonizing industries, their workers and pitting energy against the environment is easy, but it doesn’t solve anything.

Because everything is at our fingertips, we don’t even realize how much energy we use daily – or how. So what’s your solution? We suggest looking inside for this one. That’s because changing your lifestyle to be more energy efficient is a great opportunity for you to not only live a better life but save more money and help the environment. While most people want to help conserve energy, they rarely carry through with their intentions, never truly realizing just how much those changes could have benefited them in dozens of ways. Here are a few suggestions that can help put you on your way to living a more energy conscious lifestyle.

Tips for Conserving Electricity

One of the best things you can do for your electric bill is to replace your standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs. At the very least, replace the most frequently used bulbs in your kitchen, living room, or home workspace. Florescent lights last as much as 12 times longer than regular light bulbs and they use less electricity to give off the same quality of light as incandescent bulbs. LED lights are a little brighter than CFL’s but they last three times longer. They are a little more expensive, but, in the long run, you’ll be saving more and reducing the waste that replacing bulbs creates.

Next, check on your appliances and make sure they’re all high-efficiency (HE) compliant. Products with the HE logo are more energy efficient than comparable appliances. So if you’re looking for new appliances, doing upgrades or purchasing a new home, look for the HE sticker and add this to the list of money you’ll be saving on your monthly bills.

There are also other easy things to do, like restricting your use of appliances and electrical equipment. Turn appliances off, when not in use, too. Even though the power indicator may be off, they can still draw power, if they remain plugged into a power strip or outlet. Unplugging them can ensure they won’t unnecessarily drain power. During the winter, turning your thermostat back 10° to 15° when you’re asleep or out, saves about 10% annually in heating costs.

In summer, instead of readjusting your thermostat, set it at a temperature that you will always feel comfortable. This will help ensure your electric bills stays lower all year long.

What You Can Do to Save on Both Your Water and Energy Bills

Between taking showers, washing dishes and clothes, lots of water and energy are being used. If you don’t live in an apartment where there is central heating for water, consider turning down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°). Water heating can account for 14-25% of the energy consumed in your home. Replacing old gas appliances can help too. Consider replacing these older units with newer ENERGY STAR water heaters or furnaces.

Speaking of warm water, if you don’t have a shower nozzle that can be “paused” or stopped without shutting the water off, this might be the time to invest in one. By pausing the shower’s water flow, as you soap up or shampoo your hair, you can have a huge impact on your water usage. You can also install a shower timer or set an alarm on your phone, so you can lessen your time under the water. Cutting your shower by just one minute will save 12,000 liters (3,170 gallons) of water along with the energy to heat it!

Look for Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Do you know what your carbon footprint really is? Just a simple day of being at home consumes energy in various forms. Think about how much time you spend watching television, listening to music or surfing the web. How long does your phone stay plugged into the outlet even after it has a full charge? How often are you doing laundry or in the kitchen preparing meals and cooking? How often are you washing dishes? A leaky kitchen faucet or running toilet can waste up to 15 gallons of water per day. These little things add up.

By spending just one hour outdoors every day is another great way to reduce the impact of your carbon footprint. If you and your friends or family are outdoors, you won’t be burning up electricity or wasting gas and water. Many families have installed outdoor kitchens and take their meals outdoors whenever there’s good weather. Spending time outside won’t just reduce your bills, it will benefit your health as well. Just being outside has been shown to reduce stress, improve heart health, and elevate mood.

You can also, consider your commuting options. Can you take public transit or walk to your destination without creating an undue burden on yourself? If the answer is yes, do it. Walking not only helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but you’re giving your body more exercise. And public transit allows you to have some “me time” to read a book, listen to music or catch up on work.

It’s never easy to change, but making the effort can help you recognize the vast benefits of a new lifestyle. In most cases, you can support your own health just by working to help the environment. If that’s not enough of an incentive, think about the money you’ll be saving. Perhaps enough for an extra vacation every year.

Energy Grows Money for New Mexico Schools

Time for a fun fact, did you know the success of the oil and gas industry in New Mexico has a direct impact on public school funding in the state? That includes on a collegiate level! Let’s break this proven theory down together.

Time at school is critically important for children in New Mexico. For many, it provides necessary social interaction, instills core values and confidence, and teaches them how to be successful in life. For lower income families, school also provides children meals they may not have otherwise.

Earlier this year, the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA) reported that the state produced 172 million barrels of oil in 2017, setting a new high for New Mexico. As the third leading state in the country for oil production, this means New Mexico is collecting a lot of funding through taxes thanks to the energy industry. Growing this industry will help everything from the economy, jobs, the state budget, and funding for public schools.

A report done by the New Mexico Tax Research Institute says that $934 million of new oil and gas production goes to education, $711 million distributed among public and charter schools, and $233 million for higher education institutes. In summary, if New Mexico remains a favorable place for oil and gas producers to do business, it will also boost funding for education.

Additional funding also means additional opportunities to learn in and out of the classroom. That field trip to the Palace of the Governors your daughter or son was talking about? The state championship your son’s baseball team just made it to? Perhaps all thanks to the oil and gas industry for their success and monetary donations.

Supporting oil and gas production in New Mexico also means more money for our colleges and universities, which are another large source of income for the state! Schools with updated technology, programs, and amenities attract more students. Imagine move-in day at NMSU, larger than it has ever been before due to program additions and increased opportunities. Proud parents will take their new college attendees out to dinner, out shopping for dorm decorations, and textbook shopping at local businesses in the area. Talk about a win for small businesses and the economy! We’ll dive deeper into that later.

The examples above are just a few reasons why it’s essential to continue discussions regarding the importance of school funding and how to achieve better standards for education through opportunities that are right at our fingertips. It all starts, however, with supporting better policies that take into account not only our environment, but our children and that means making thoughtful decisions when it comes to the oil and gas industry.

Large and small scale companies alike are committed to helping the nation’s school systems. Some companies have invested in future generations by giving hundreds of millions of dollars to the National Math and Science Initiative to ensure students excel. This is just one concrete example of how oil and gas production grows money for our schools.

With a larger budget, New Mexico can improve its quality of education. A 2013 study states that on average New Mexico spends over $9,000 per pupil each year. In addition, the high school graduation rate has held steady at roughly 71 percent over the past five years. Well-funded school programs, educational outlets, and after-school activities are proven to be helpful and contribute nationwide to increasing graduation rates. Unfortunately, New Mexico receives one of the lowest school budgets in the United States. The silver lining, however, is that with the growth of oil and gas production, so too has the state budget – substantially – and it can continue on that path with increased support for the industry!

A bright future for energy means a bright future for all, and that’s a cause we invite you to get behind.

How to Prevent the Next Oil Crisis

Tanker truck with American flag

CEA’s latest report “Fueling America’s Energy Consumers” highlights the often-overlooked fact that oil and natural gas provide the majority of energy used in the transportation sector, and when the price of oil rises due to external factors like supply disruptions and geopolitical events, the price of transportation fuels also rises.

 As little as a one-cent increase in the average price of diesel fuel can add up to another $350 to $370 million per year in fuel costs across the shipping industry — eventually making its way across the supply chain and into the price of products we purchase at the grocery store.

Read more – Washington Examiner

CEA Warns Policymakers: U.S. Energy Production Mitigates Global Instability, Helps Transportation Consumers

Semi trucks on the road

Washington, D.C. – In a new report released today by Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the organization warns policymakers that recent geopolitical turmoil and global oil price instability could negatively affect U.S. consumers and one of the largest energy-consuming industries in the United States, the transportation sector. Geopolitical events continue to directly affect global energy markets and will continue to do so in the U.S. if oil is transported into the country from foreign nations.

The report, titled “Fueling America’s Energy Consumers,” examines how fuel price increases negatively affect American consumers and their ability to work, travel, buy affordable products and pay their bills.  High transportation costs also hurt American businesses by increasing their operational expenses and overhead – costs which are often passed on to the consumer through price increases.

The chief mitigating factor helping U.S. families is the on-going U.S. Energy Revolution and the impact it has on helping to maintain lower prices for U.S. consumers.

While fluctuations in global energy markets are part of the problem, CEA believes that policymakers should continue to consider American energy resources as the solution. Currently, the United States has large amounts of oil and natural gas resources on federal lands onshore and offshore, as well as technologically feasible renewable energy solutions. These resources can be developed safely, efficiently and responsibly, with great care taken to protect the environment.

Highlights from the report include:

  • The transportation sector is the largest energy-consuming segment in the U.S., accounting for nearly 30 percent of the nation’s energy use in 2017.  In 2017, oil and natural gas provided approximately 92 percent of the total energy used to power these modes of transportation.
  • S. is still importing crude oil and petroleum products from other nations to meet demand. In 2017, the U.S. imported a little more than 10 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day.
  • In 2017, the average American household spent around $1,765 on gasoline. In 2018, the cost of gasoline is expected to increase by $133 per household – setting families back nearly $1,900. The U.S. is expected to spend nearly $365 million on gasoline in 2018 – an increase of more than $60 million since 2016.
  • More than 3.6 million heavy-duty trucks are needed to move the 10.5 billion tons of freight transported across the nation on an annual basis. Moving that freight requires more than 15 billion gallons of gasoline and nearly 39 billion gallons of diesel fuel every year. In 2015, the trucking industry paid more than $105 billion for diesel fuel.
  • Approximately 50 to 60 percent of a vessel’s expenses are allocated for fuel costs. A typical Trans-Pacific cargo carrier can expect a fuel bill of over $3.3 million for a 28-day voyage. With the expansion of global markets, the use of cargo ships will continue.
  • A one-cent increase in the average price of diesel fuel can add another $350-$370 million per year in fuel costs for the shipping industry – costs which are felt across the supply chain.
  • The price of jet fuel has increased over 58 percent from June 2017 to June 2018. For every dollar-per-barrel increase in the cost of oil, the airline industry’s fuel bill goes up by $420 million.

“This report highlights the often-overlooked fact that oil and natural gas provide the majority of energy used in the transportation sector, and when the price of oil rises due to external factors like supply disruptions and geopolitical events, that means the price of transportation fuels also rises,” CEA President David Holt said. “While the United States has been undergoing an energy revolution over the last decade, keeping prices much lower than they would otherwise be, it is still importing a fair amount of crude oil and petroleum products from other nations – making it reliant on imported oil to ensure American consumers and businesses meet their transportation needs.”

Holt added, “Americans have witnessed this firsthand during this summer’s hot vacation months, with the cost to fill up pinching not only consumers’ wallets at the pump but also in the air as airlines adjust for the rising cost of jet fuel through higher airfare. For most of these families, reducing the amount they spend on gasoline is not an option. All too often, this usually means choosing between filling up on gasoline for work and other day-to-day commutes or paying for household essentials, such as groceries or rent.”

“Everyone from working mothers trying to pay their bills to small retailers who spend a large percentage of their revenue on fuel costs must have a stake in making sure we meet our energy needs, and it needs to be a top priority for our policymakers to ensure we do,” Holt continued. “Any policy that helps directly expand U.S. energy development and provides environmental protection is good for American families and businesses. By continuing to support sensible energy policies that responsibly utilize our abundant and affordable domestic energy resources, we can provide further relief to American families and businesses.”

For the final report, click here.

###

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

Energy Grows Environmental Enhancements

South Carolina Golf Course

There is a growing myth that must be put to rest: Americans can’t protect the environment we love while also producing the energy we need. The reality is we can — and have been — safely and responsibly for decades.

Just like any industry that has evolved, through common sense regulations and American ingenuity, our petroleum engineers have found ways to minimize risk and business units in charge of production account for social and environmental impacts through due diligence before and during drilling operations – even improving the environment after they’re done. That’s right, what is being pitched as a false choice about offshore (and onshore) drilling by extreme environmentalists it’s actually a win-win for the environment, coastal states, and even eco-systems just off our shores.

It’s a fact that energy companies are required to adhere to hundreds of environmental rules and regulations when drilling for oil and natural gas off our coasts. On top of existing environmental cornerstone laws like the Clean Air, Clean Water, Marine Mammal Protection and countless other laws most people haven’t heard of, the United States government continually institutes new safeguards to protect the environment and citizens even further.

A glance at the extensive list of rules on Regulations.gov – a U.S. government website that enables the public to review and submit comments – should put any doubts about any loopholes to rest. And with more than 1.3 million attorneys in America, we can all sleep tight knowing there are plenty of legal watchdogs to keep the industry in check.

And if you’re still not convinced, like any process where permitting, regulations and safety are concerned – these process checks and inspections continue during the duration of the project to ensure that at any time, all rules are being followed during these specific milestones.

The good news actually gets better from here.

In addition to these protections, drilling offshore can actually improve the environment. According to the National Research Council, natural oil seepage accounts for more than half of the oil pollutants in the ocean. Naturally seeping oil also pushes methane gas through ocean waters which can create oil slicks on the water’s surface, and eventually escape into the atmosphere which can negatively harm marine populations. So – drilling for, and capturing that oil and natural gas, reduces the pressure of oil reservoirs underground, which greatly reduces the amount of hydrocarbon seepage – and the number of pollutants in the ocean and atmosphere.

Another often overlooked fact is that offshore oil and natural gas rig platforms assist in growing artificial reefs. With natural reefs on the decline, platforms provide dwindling, but vibrant colonies for all kinds of marine life. And if you think this is ultra-right, drill-baby-drill conservative spin, please take a look at what the New York Times has to say about the environmental and marine benefits of offshore drilling platforms.

Scientists theorize that increased drilling operations could continue to benefit aquatic and atmospheric conditions. That may seem counterintuitive, but believe it or not, the oil industry is more helpful to the environment than many have been led to believe.

But with 94 percent of our nation’s federal offshore acreage, including the entire Atlantic Outer Continental shelf off limits, we have only dipped our toe in the water in terms of what’s possible. A report from Calash Americas estimates North Carolina could see nearly 56,000 new jobs, $3.5 billion in annual spending and $4 billion to the state annually. South Carolina could nab 34,000 new jobs and $2.5 billion annual and the benefits continue down the coast to Georgia and Florida, too.

Furthermore, studying offshore energy development will give policymakers and producers stronger data about the vast potential that sits off our shores. Aside from the environmental and economic benefits, decreasing our reliance on imported foreign oil also makes us safer at home. And as international trade wars continually loom, we’ll need all we can make here in the U.S.

Our country has never been in the business of making things less safe, and we certainly won’t be starting with offshore drilling.  The mere thought that we can bounce a cell phone signal off a satellite miles into outer space and have it land perfectly (and clearly) on the other side of the world (for free via an apps like Facebook, Skype and WhatsApp) but we can’t produce oil and natural gas in an environmentally safe way, without devastating the ocean’s ecosystem, is sort of insulting to some of America’s best and brightest minds if you think about it.

On the Air With Joel Riley and Brydon Ross

Family at Sunset

CEA’s Brydon Ross joined Joel Riley to discuss CEA’s latest report, The Benefits of Ohio’s Natural Gas Production to Energy Consumers and Job Creators, detailing how Ohio’s families, farmers, and manufacturers saved over $40 billion on energy costs as a result of increases in American energy production.

Listen here – 610 WTVN

1...142143144...338Page 143 of 338

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

© Consumer Energy Alliance