As we’ve indicated over the past few months, constraints in vital energy infrastructure are preventing America from becoming more energy independent while lowering the cost of energy for families, farmers, and small businesses.
Pipeline capacity has created major roadblocks for America’s biggest oilfield, known as the Permian Basin, but Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton said the issue could be solved within the next year or two.
Read more – Fox Business
Mike Butler, Mid-Atlantic Executive Director for the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), and Richard Prisinzano, Senior Economist at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, join host Kent Smetters to discuss their insights on the rising oil and gas prices: what’s causing it, how’s it impacting your wallet, and what can be done about it on Your Money.
Listen here – Philadelphia Sirius XM Business Radio
CEA’s Emily Haggstrom explores how we can help to reduce poverty in New Mexico by encouraging the responsible production of the state’s energy resources.
The good news is voters can help households decrease their expenses and communities find funding for schools and public safety by electing policymakers who better support, understand and are willing to work with the local energy industry.
It’s simple supply and demand. The more oil and natural gas New Mexico produces, and the more pipelines and transmission lines it has to move these resources safely, the more energy costs will decrease for cash-strapped families.
Read more – Albuquerque Journal
As we pass the mid-way point for the year some of us have started evaluating our diets, our goals for the second part of the year, and of course, saving money. One of the ways we can save money is by using energy more efficiently. Here are seven ways to achieve those energy savings:
Get An Energy Check-Up
The first step in using energy more efficiently is calling a professional called an energy auditor to investigate your home and examining it for its weak points in an energy check-up. The auditor is a technician who will examine the insulation, inspect the furnace and ducts and check for leaks. After completing their tests, the auditor will advise you on what you need to do to make your home more energy-efficient and ultimately save you money. You may only need to do something relatively inexpensive like replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs or change a filter – or you may need to replace the insulation or buy a new water heater.
Energy auditors usually work with the local electric company. Check the company’s website or contact them for more information.
Replace Old Appliances with ENERGY STAR Appliances
ENERGY STAR is a program established in 1992 to help individuals and businesses find energy-efficient products. The program hires laboratories to test items for their efficiency. Those that meet the program’s standards are marked with a blue and white logo. ENERGY STAR can be awarded to many things from telephones to whole buildings.
Get And Use a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a thermostat in which you can adjust the temperature setting for different times of the day. For example, during summer, you can program the thermostat to allow the temperature to become relatively high when nobody is home but to have a cooler temperature when people are home. There are different types of programmable thermostats that range in flexibility and complexity. Before getting one, you should check your central heating and cooling equipment to make sure you get a compatible thermostat.
Find And Seal All the Leaks
A leaky house can cost the average family $350 per year – or about 1/3 of their budget for cooling and heating. There can be and often are leaks in places besides the windows and the doors. For example, recessed lights and chimneys often have leaks. The local energy auditor can help you find all of the leaks in your home.
Maintain Your Heating and Cooling Systems
Change your air filter every few months. As your filters accumulate dust, dirt and clogs – it makes it harder for your system to operate. Hire a technician to check your system at least once a year. Not only will doing so save you money, but it will also save you aggravation. You don’t want your air conditioner to go out in the middle of a summer heat wave.
Use Power Strips
Electronic devices like chargers and computers will use energy even when they’re turned off. Since unplugging everything can be a pain, buying a power strip is an easier option. Just plug everything into the power strip and turn it off when you aren’t using anything.
Cultivate Good Habits
Your mother was right – turning the lights off will save energy and money. Similarly, taking short showers rather than long baths reduces the amount of water for the water heater to heat. Dishwashers and washing machines use most of their energy to heat the water, so doing only half loads is a waste of both energy and water.
While there are many ways to incrementally save, it’s really what we do to efficiently use energy over every facet of our lives where consumers and the environment actually save. That means looking at our energy habits and becoming more aware of how much energy we’re actually using, and how we can better conserve that energy – whether that is improving our driving habits, paying attention to what we use when we’re lounging around the house, or actually evaluating what our carbon footprint actually is and how we can reduce it.
With the summer driving season in full swing and gas prices averaging around $2.85 per gallon, accounting for higher gas prices in your family budget will likely mean cutting back on other things. Where you choose to cut back will depend specifically on your family, but being aware that you need to make a change should make your budgeting easier. So here are small things, that when done altogether, can make a difference as you work to save some money this summer.
Carpool
Carpooling is the easiest way to combat high gas prices. If you live close to your family or friends, work out a carpool agreement for things like daycare, sporting events, or even work! If you live in a rural or secluded area, see if you can adjust you and your partner’s schedules so that you can both ride to work together. These may seem like small changes, but they will save you a lot of money when gas prices are hovering around the $4.00 a gallon range!
Go for a Walk
If you work in the city and usually go out for lunch, consider keeping your parking spot and going for a walk instead. This will not only save you money on gas but is also great for your health and the environment! Ask a co-worker if they would like to tag along so that you are obligated to go and do not forget about your pledge to save money!
Ditch the Fancy Gas
If you are currently purchasing premium grade gas, you can likely stop. Most cars can handle regular old gas, so this is a great way to save money each time you stop at the pump! Keep in mind that not all cars are the same so you may need to put some research into this before actually making the switch.
Loyalty Programs
Depending on where you purchase your gas, you may be able to enroll in some type of loyalty program where you earn money back on your gas purchases. If you find a program you like, be sure to always stop at that brand of gas station so that you keep earning your rewards.
Think before Buying
If you are in the market for a new car, keep high gas prices in mind and opt for something that gets great fuel mileage. This is one of the best ways to save money on gas because no matter how high the price goes, you will still need less gas to fuel your car than other bigger vehicles.
Drive with Care
Believe it or not, the way you drive can actually impact how often you have to stop and refuel. You should take care to drive slightly below the speed limit and avoid hitting the gas rapidly. Even though this isn’t as fun as pretending that you are driving your very own racecar, it could result in fewer stops at the fuel pump, which can save you money.
Along the same lines, you should avoid slamming on your breaks when possible. You can improve this habit by keeping a respectable amount of distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. Avoiding slamming the breaks can actually save you gas too!
Whether you are in the market for a new car or just looking to save money on gas prices, these tips should be of great assistance. Remember to drive with care, join loyalty programs, and be willing to get out of your car and walk if you can to save the most money on gas!
St. Paul, MN – Following a lengthy decision process, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) approved the Line 3 Replacement Project after reviewing the revised Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). After the release of the MPUC’s statement, Chris Ventura, Consumer Energy Alliance, Midwest – Executive Director said:
“Consumer Energy Alliance applauds the decision to modernize Minnesota’s infrastructure made by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Modernizing Line 3 secures access to affordable, reliable supplies of fuel to power the needs of families, farmers, and businesses across the state,” said Ventura. “Pipelines continue to be the safest, most environmentally sustainable way to transport energy, and we are pleased this was acknowledged by the Commission.”
“The energy supply provided by this line is crucial to the people of Minnesota and to states in the surrounding region. We are pleased to see that the commission looked at the data and did not shy from threats of violence, ensuring communities and families across the state will have uninterrupted access to critical energy.”
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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
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — June 28, 2018 — Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) announced today it will extend its current “Campaign for America’s Energy”, designed to educate policymakers, families, and businesses about the benefits of energy and the central role it plays in their everyday lives and budgets, into the state of New Mexico.
CEA’s “Campaign for America’s Energy” highlights the importance of affordable, reliable energy in the lives of New Mexico families and businesses and aims at changing, balancing and improving the energy discussion with policymakers and the community. CEA will focus on key New Mexico energy issues – including access to affordable energy, workforce development, and economic opportunity – and how to expand production in a thoughtful way while striving to protect the environment. The effort will also encourage elected officials and those currently running for office to not only maintain but also expand policies that support energy production and delivery that works hand-in-hand with sound environmental stewardship. We can and must do both.
CEA also aims to bring greater awareness to how rejecting or delaying energy production and infrastructure projects hurt lower-income New Mexico households and those on fixed incomes. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, New Mexicans spend over $3,400 annually on energy. For a low-income New Mexican living at or near the poverty line, that translates to over 47 percent of their individual income – nearly 8 times the amount that experts consider to be affordable. These expenses often saddle households who can least afford them, like the 21.5 percent of New Mexico residents on food stamps.
“New Mexico has a dire need to improve the business climate, provide access to more jobs and help the poorest families in the state afford energy. Fortunately, the more we support local energy development, and the more we encourage policymakers to support the infrastructure we need to move it safely, the more low-cost energy we can bring to market, directly helping our local community,” said Link Browder, CEA’s Executive Director. “Diversifying our energy economy will generate more jobs with good-paying salaries and lower energy costs for families and business while helping to create a cleaner and more prosperous New Mexico.”
CEA – an advocacy organization representing families, manufacturers, agriculture, transporters, distributors, energy producers, renewables and various other industries in New Mexico and across the U.S. – focuses on helping ensure stable prices and energy security for households 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/NewMexico.
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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
CEA recently launched its Wind Energy Initiative in Michigan to ensure landowners have access to energy resources on their property.
The new planning commissions, per reports, would essentially raise property taxes at various levels for homeowners depending on where they live in what is referred to as a mill levy. This is estimated to cost the average homeowner an extra $250 to $380 per year and reject efforts to bring cleaner, more environmentally-friendly energy to nearby communities, while stifling job growth.
Read more – MI Tech News
LANSING, MI – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) today announced the start of an initiative that will launch specifically in Michigan to educate families and small businesses about wind energy production and the new investment, jobs, opportunities and environmental stewardship that comes with it.
The new initiative comes at a time when anti-energy activists across the state are looking to raise taxes and take away the property rights of landowners in towns across Isabella County by creating planning commissions that, if approved by voters August primary ballot, may thwart efforts to bring wind and other forms of energy to Michigan.
The new planning commissions, per reports, would essentially raise property taxes at various levels for homeowners depending on where they live in what is referred to as a mill levy. This is estimated to cost the average homeowner an extra $250 to $380 per year and reject efforts to bring cleaner, more environmentally-friendly energy to nearby communities while stifling job growth.
“CEA is pleased to launch this effort to help ensure that families and small businesses are aware of the importance of energy production to Michigan. Just in Isabella County, wind energy development could provide over $31 million in additional revenue to communities that could reinvest in areas like schools, public safety or road maintenance,” Chris Ventura, CEA’s Midwest Director, said. “Landowners who choose to exercise their property rights for energy development would also receive close to $103 million in compensation.”
“Unfortunately, local planning commissions have been pushed by activists across the state to prevent investments in agricultural and rural communities from taking place, especially as the state works to address its future energy needs,” Ventura added. “Energy opponents have used zoning as a de facto ban on energy development –today it’s wind farms, but tomorrow it could be oil and natural gas production.”
This initiative follows CEA’s “Fueling Michigan’s Forum,” held last week in Marysville, Mich., and attended by state business leaders and policymakers, including State Rep. Dan Lauwers, Michigan’s House Majority Floor Leader, and State Sen. David Knezek, Michigan’s Senate Minority Caucus Chair. It also punctuates the need for sensible all-of-the-above energy policies and adds to the campaign work that CEA is doing across the country in support of solar, pipelines and infrastructure, oil and natural gas as well as energy education and conservation via the organization’s annual Energy Day.
For more information on the initiative, please visit www.consumerenergyalliance.org/wind-energy-initiative.
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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
PITTSBURGH, PA — Following the Pennsylvania Senate’s approval of a bipartisan resolution, S.R. 375, which calls on the U.S. Congress to support the development of an ethane storage hub in the Appalachian region, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, Consumer Energy Alliance’s Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Mike Butler issued this statement:
“On behalf of CEA members representing families, households, and seniors on fixed incomes across Pennsylvania, we are pleased that this bipartisan effort in the Senate will help to encourage more infrastructure and lower energy costs in the region. We thank Sen. Bartolotta and members in the Pennsylvania Senate for focusing their attention on the importance of reducing household energy costs, creating new jobs and economic opportunity, and expanding Pennsylvania’s role as a national energy leader.”
“The Senate’s approval highlights the importance of infrastructure to the region and the benefits of developing an ethane storage and distribution hub in the Appalachian region, which will create 100,000 new direct and indirect jobs and $28 billion in new economic output. Since the development of an ethane storage hub in the Appalachian region would build a robust foundation for future investments, it could also spur a manufacturing renaissance that the region hasn’t seen since the industrial revolution.”
“To ensure the safe transport of materials at these facilities, the state must also support the development of pipeline infrastructure. Pipelines remain the safest way to move energy, especially at the amount our state demands.”
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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
