CEA’s Link Browder reflected on how Mississippi policy makers set the stage for economic growth by supporting policies that ensured energy affordability for families and manufacturers across the state.
Having access to affordable energy affects every facet of our daily lives – and nowhere is this better understood than in Mississippi, where an all-of-the-above energy strategy has led to positive economic activity, such as our recent increase in manufacturing activity.
Read more – Clarion Ledger
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists sat down with David Holt to discuss CEA’s latest report “Families, Communities and Finances: The Consequences of Denying Critical Pipeline Infrastructure,” and the necessity of energy infrastructure.
“A lot of these extremists are creating this narrative that ultimately means ‘We can’t build anything next to anything ever,’” Holt said. “And, if you follow the logical path to that, the people who can least afford to pay more for energy will be the ones who are hurt the worst. If you are at or below the poverty level, you will pay 25 to 30 percent of your monthly income on energy if we stop building pipelines.”
Read more – AAPG Explorer
A landmark partnership to accelerate improvements to environmental performance in operations across the country was announced this week. The Environmental Partnership will help to reduce air emissions through this new voluntary program which will allow the United States to have both environmental progress and sensible energy solutions. While America produces more and more of our energy here at home, innovation and ingenuity continue to advance allowing significant safety and environmental progress to continue.
Significant natural gas production from Appalachia continues to save families and small businesses money on energy bills. In fact, for the first time since EIA began keeping records, the United States is projected to meet winter demand for natural gas without imports.
The U.S. Senate is currently debating whether to open up ANWR for exploration and production of domestic energy resources. Alaska’s onshore and offshore production is crucial to contributing to America’s oil supply, nationally and along the West Coast, as well as our country’s geopolitical presence in the Arctic and for consumer energy prices overall.
The concerted effort by OPEC to increase crude oil prices has already enjoyed success over the last few months; however, American drivers will see a seasonal reprieve in December and January. Slightly lower gasoline prices will not last long; in fact, they are expected to rise in 2018 as foreign companies seek to accumulate as much American crude oil and shale gas as possible. A purchase frenzy of U.S. oil and gas is good for the industry, but it leaves drivers with the prospect of having to pay more at the pump as the price of exports rises, which is one of the goals sought by OPEC.
On December 25, many smartphone owners across the U.S. will find solar mobile chargers under the holiday tree. According to Digital Trends, portable and rugged solar chargers have been actively selling since the beginning of of the holiday shopping season. The price range of these items starts around $35 and could cost more than $200 depending on the capacity and charging times; the most popular feature mechanisms to clip onto backpacks.
Turning up the heat can lead to higher energy bills, but there are ways to save energy and money when temperatures drop. CEA’s executive director, Kevin Doyle, appeared on WECT’s First at Four to discuss tips for keeping your bills low.
One of Doyle’s recommendations is to turn the thermostat down 10-15 degrees when you’re sleeping at night or when you’re not in your home.
He also said that opening the blinds or drapes on windows that face South can allow a residence to get free heat from the sun, and making sure ceiling fans are rotating in the right direction — clockwise during the fall and winter — will push down warm air while pulling cold air up to the ceiling.
Watch Here – WECT 6 News
HOUSTON- DECEMBER 6, 2017 – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) President David Holt released the following statement after America’s natural gas and oil industry today announced a landmark partnership to accelerate improvements to environmental performance in operations across the country:
“CEA applauds the Environmental Partnership on their efforts to reduce air emissions through this new voluntary program. We agree that the United States can have both environmental progress and sensible energy solutions. This is a great step towards positive environmental progress in the era of the Energy Revolution. While America produces more and more of our energy here at home, innovation and ingenuity continue to advance so that significant safety and environmental progress can continue.
“CEA has long advocated for an all of the above approach to energy and seeks to find common ground on ways to protect the environment, ensure the lowest possible prices, create greater energy security for struggling households, upgrade America’s infrastructure and push forward with cutting edge innovations. We agree that the environment is vital to our future and we’ll continue to push companies to innovate their technology, reduce emissions and operate under the highest safety standards — that holds true for all forms of energy, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, solar and wind.”
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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
CEA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Mike Butler describes the massive benefits of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale play. As Butler explains, “drilling is just the beginning,” and a responsible commitment to natural gas development includes investment in both infrastructure and the environment.
At Consumer Energy Alliance, we work hard to ensure that all consumers – from homeowners to large manufacturers – have access to environmentally responsible, affordable, reliable energy, and agree wholeheartedly that it is important that our communities and our policymakers understand how critical it is that we continue to build out our energy infrastructure to not only take advantage of Pennsylvania’s vast reserves of natural gas, but to also ensure a steady supply of energy for families and businesses across our state.
Read more – Observer-Reporter
As we head into the holidays, many of us will take the time to help those who have fallen upon hard times. Our neighbors and coworkers may participate in charity toy drives, food bank deliveries or clothing collections to help those who are struggling this holiday season.
While these efforts are important to helping our communities, we must also remember that our neighbors and area families also need affordable energy.
Currently, Floridians spend nearly $2,800 per person on energy annually, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With a median household income in Florida of $47,507 per year, that is a staggering amount of money devoted to daily energy costs.
For those living on low or fixed incomes, the burden can be even more crushing. Take for example the poorest residents in Florida who generally spend 23 percent of their take-home pay on home energy bills (and more than 50 percent in some extreme cases). But energy costs affect us all. And Floridians deserve better.
Let’s work together to find ways to protect the environment, ensure the lowest possible prices, create greater energy security for struggling households, upgrade America’s infrastructure and push forward with cutting-edge innovations.
By doing so, we can lighten the load for people all year around.
Kevin Doyle,
Florida executive director,
Consumer Energy Alliance,
Jacksonville FL
Source – The Florida Times-Union
Consumer Energy Alliance’s Brydon Ross explains why nuclear power is an ideal choice for Georgia’s growing population. Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle units 3 & 4 would be the first new commercial reactors in the U.S. in more than 30 years if approved by Georgia’s Public Service Commission.
“People are moving to Georgia – they are going to need energy,” Brydon Ross, the group’s Southeast director said in a phone interview on the eve of the Georgia Public Service Commission hearings.
It’s a fact that nuclear plants, once built, generate electricity much less expensively and cleanly than natural gas plants and coal plants. Not even heavily subsidized solar and wind farms can top nuclear. Only hydroelectric is cheaper, but nobody wants to dam any more rivers.
“We’re not just looking at what today’s energy prices are, but what about 2040 or 2050?” said Ross, whose members include energy-intensive businesses such as manufacturers.
Read More – The Augusta Chronicle
As the holidays approach, millions of American families are getting ready to face the coldest days of winter. Recent weather forecasts indicate that ice storms and heavy snowfall will arrive as early as the first week of December, and they will put an end to the mild temperatures that have been enjoyed in many parts of the country. This winter is expected to be colder than the previous one, and it will also be more expensive for households in certain states. According to research compiled by personal finance site Wallet Hub, energy costs in Connecticut this winter will average $380 per month while the average in Alaska will be $322. These are the priciest winter states in terms of heating, electricity and gasoline.
Representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries wrapped up their latest meeting in Vienna with a resolution to extend production cuts to continue their ongoing effort to boost crude oil prices. The reduced output has been in place for a year, and it has been successful. Crude oil prices stand at $64 today; this is a 20 percent improvement on a year-over-year basis. Not all OPEC members participated in the reduction; Libya and Nigeria were exempt due to economic hardship.
A solar window project at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has successfully absorbed sunlight and converted it to electricity. This combination solar panel and window is a triumph of nanotechnology; the materials used include methylamine, calcium titanium oxide and carbon nanotubes. The appearance of the window is transparent until it is exposed to sunlight and transforms into a dark tint; this is when the solar panel activates. When the window is in its tinted state, it allows three percent of sunlight to pass and the rest is converted into electricity. Scientists working on this project explained that the glass material can be used in homes, cars and smartphones.
German automaker Volkswagen has selected the U.S. as the location where its electric cars will be made in the near future. The company is still reeling from the 2015 scandal involving misrepresentation of diesel emissions; to this effect, VW has made a commitment to invest $41 billion into electric vehicle technology as well as autonomous driving systems. The VW plant in Chattanooga will be expanded to handle production goals; this is where the automaker plans to manufacture all its electric cars destined for the North American market.
Even as OPEC continues its efforts to raise the price of crude oil, American drivers will get some relief at the pump during the holidays. Analysts who following the futures market believe that crude oil will take a break from its recent rally and adjust downward over the next few weeks as the OPEC production quotas are implemented. What this means for American drivers is that they should see slightly lower gasoline prices; however, this reprieve will only be temporary. Fuel prices will likely return to current levels by February 2018, and they may continue to rise over the year if the OPEC production strategies succeed.
CEA’s Brent Greenfield was featured on The Jacki Daily Show to discuss American energy issues under the lens of foreign policy and geopolitics
