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Consumer Group to Nebraska Public Service Commission: Keystone XL a Win-Win, Economically and Environmentally

Farmer in tractor preparing land with seedbed cultivator

NORFOLK, NEBRASKA — Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) Executive Vice President Michael Whatley released the following statement after testifying at a public hearing before the Nebraska Public Service Commission (NPSC) today in Norfolk, Nebraska, regarding the Keystone XL pipeline:

“Thanks to continuously low gas prices, a record number of Nebraskans are expected to drive this holiday weekend. Nebraska’s electricity rates are among the lowest in the nation, constantly supplying residents, businesses and local farmers with more affordable energy.”

“To create this long-term sustainable energy future, we must work together to expand our energy infrastructure, which is exactly what Keystone XL will do by safely moving 830,000 barrels of oil per day. That makes this pipeline a win-win, economically and environmentally, for Nebraska, and why the state Public Service Commission should approve it.”

This is the third hearing the NPSC has held to discuss the project. Similar hearings were held May 3 in York and June 7 in O’Neill.

Gas Prices on the Decline Ahead of Holiday Weekend

Gas station

Brydon Ross, CEA Southeast Executive Director, discussed the historically low gas prices consumers will see during the Fourth of July holiday.

Motorists could expect to see a “low price environment” at the pumps for the “near future” including the remainder of the summer driving season. Ross credits some of the drop in price to fuel production at an all-time high and people driving more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Read more – The Times-Tribune

KDKA Morning News – The Future of Energy in Western Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania farm near Gettysburg

CEA’s David Holt was interviews by Larry Richert and John Shumway about the future of energy in Western Pennsylvania and the impact energy development has had on people looking for jobs and families trying to make ends meet.

What is the future of energy in Western PA and for the country? David Hold the President of the Consumer Energy Alliance says Pennsylvania is a big part of the “energy revolution” and a mix of oil, natural gas, wind and solar are important for jobs and energy independence.

Read more – KDKA

Working to Keep Pipelines Secure

Firefighters in Station

Pipelines are the safest, most reliable way to transport oil and natural gas across the country.  In order to ensure the resiliency of our energy infrastructure, organizations like the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which was established by Congress and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provide valuable training to our first responders.

Regional first responders gathered Tuesday at the Stark County Emergency Management Agency to discuss how to safeguard pipelines and respond to emergencies with them…

…Class attendees included law-enforcement officers, firefighters, pipeline company workers, health department staff, Red Cross representatives and emergency planners.

Read more – Canton Repository

Help Keep Alaska Strong!

Oil pipeline in Alaska with mountain range

Stand Up for Alaska! As Alaskans, we know firsthand how important energy is to our families, communities, and businesses.Anchorage Alaska

After years of barriers, the federal government is taking steps to reopen Alaska for development on land and at sea – and it’s already paying off!

Just last week, the United States held its first successful lease sale in 20 years in the Cook Inlet.

Now, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is  seeking public comments on a proposal to explore the Beaufort Sea for potential future energy production. It’s up to us to make sure BOEM approves this plan! 

With an estimated 8 billion barrels of oil and nearly 28 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the Beaufort Sea is vital to the future of our families and businesses as well as critical infrastructure like the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

Tell Washington that you support Alaskan energy exploration and development.

William Ingersoll
Chief of Plans Section
U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Alaska OCS Region
3801 Centerpoint Drive
Suite 500
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5823
RE: Eni US Operating Co. Inc. Initial Exploration Plan – Harrison Bay Block 6423 Unit – Proposed Drilling of Leases OCS-Y-1753, OCS-Y-1754, and OCS-Y-1757
Dear Mr. Ingersoll:
As a resident of Alaska, I am writing to demonstrate my strong support for oil and gas development in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and to urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to approve Eni’s plan to explore its leases in the Beaufort Sea.
The federal government has estimated that resources in the Alaskan Arctic’s Beaufort and Chukchi Seas could surpass 42 billion barrels of oil equivalent. In addition to increasing our domestic supply of energy and safeguarding Alaska’s economy and future, development of these resources could have a significant positive impact throughout the country – creating tens of thousands of jobs nationwide.
It has also been estimated that economic activity from development in this region could create an average of 54,700 jobs nationwide annually, as well as create $193 billion in public revenue and a cumulative payroll of $145 billion over a 50 year-period – including more than 30,000 jobs and over $97 billion in public revenue from the Beaufort alone.
Offshore energy development in the Beaufort Sea has the clear potential to help Alaska and the United States at large meet its energy demand, create jobs, grow the economy, and enhance our national security.
With a willing federal partner, Alaska and the nation now have a real opportunity to begin to realize these significant benefits. I therefore strongly urge BOEM to promptly approve this exploration plan.
Sincerely,

Oil Production Driving Pump Prices Down Just in Time for Holiday Travel

A girl with her Labrador getting ready for vacation

Families in Kentucky are seeing the positive benefits of increased domestic oil and gas production, just in time for the family vacation, as Brydon Ross discusses with the Bowling Green Daily News.

“Oil and gas prices are driven by supply and demand,” said Brydon Ross, vice president of state affairs for the Texas-based Consumer Energy Alliance. “What we’re seeing right now is a tremendous amount of supply. Even with OPEC cutting production, the U.S. market really is growing.”

 Read more – Bowling Green Daily News

Kinder Morgan Pitches Future Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity in New York, New England

Electric transmission lines

The Mid-Atlantic and New England is becoming increasingly reliant on affordable, reliable natural gas.  However, state policymakers have introduced political constraints on markets, forcing families and businesses to pay some of the highest prices for natural gas in the industrialized world – if they can get it.

Locally, Berkshire Gas and Columbia Gas, citing pipeline bottlenecks, maintain moratoriums on new service in parts of Western Massachusetts, but have signaled that a solution may be imminent.

Liberty Utilities in New Hampshire has said it plans to convert a propane-based distribution system in Keene to natural gas, and voters in Vernon, Vermont, have expressed support for a possible natural gas plant to replace the now-shuttered Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor.

Read more – MassLive

Clogged Oil Arteries Slow U.S. Shale Rush to Record Output

A girl with her Labrador getting ready for vacation

Just a few short years ago, American drivers were stuck with gas prices averaging $4.00 per gallon or more across the country.  Increasing domestic oil production has helped our families to save over $180 billion on gasoline since then.  To continue achieving this savings, new energy infrastructure must be constructed and existing infrastructure must be maintained and upgraded.

Pipeline construction often lags production booms by years – if proposed lines are built at all – because of opposition from environmentalists and landowners, topographic obstacles, and permitting and construction challenges. That forces drillers to limit output or ship oil domestically, usually by rail – which is more costly and arguably less safe.

The crimped production, in turn, costs the economy jobs, keeps prices higher for consumers and stymies the nation’s long-held geopolitical goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil.

Read more – Reuters

Energy an Important Issue to Voters in Northeastern United States, Consumer Energy Alliance Study Finds

Castle Hill light house in Rhode Island New England

CEA’s latest poll of New England voters and access to affordable energy was covered by Daily Energy Insider.

“Voters made it loud and clear that if you are a candidate for office, think long and hard before endorsing policies that don’t support the safe, responsible development of energy infrastructure and rational, all-of-the-above policies,” CEA President David Holt said.

 Read more – Daily Energy Insider

Voice Your Support For American Energy Development

Two offshore oil rigs during sunset

It’s time to unleash our energy! Help our government learn more about new U.S. energy resources off our coasts! 

Offshore oil platform in ocean

The Federal government is considering new surveys to help us better understand the energy resources in the Mid and South Atlantic.  These surveys would update decades-old data to help decide how to secure long-term affordable, reliable energy for families and businesses across America.

Demand for energy is increasing and oil and natural gas will continue to be the predominant way to meet our future needs.

Act Now!  Tell the U.S. government to allow these surveys – without unnecessary barriers – that will help us best meet our nation’s growing energy needs.

American families across the country are reaping the benefits of lower energy prices, thanks to the U.S. energy revolution!

However, without discovering new resources, the savings we’ve all been enjoying on gasoline, electric bills, and so many consumer goods will be in serious jeopardy.

We need your Help!  Tell the U.S. government to allow these surveys – without unnecessary barriers – that will help us best meet our nation’s growing energy needs.

Jolie Harrison
Chief
Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Dear Ms. Harrison:
I am writing to convey my strong support for new, more effective seismic surveys in the Mid and South-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf and to urge the prompt approval of the requested authorizations without unnecessary conditions.
While the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has estimated that the area could hold approximately 7.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, it is likely that new studies would significantly increase these estimates. Much of the information we have on energy resource estimates in the Atlantic is based on decades-old technology. For example, Gulf of Mexico oil resource estimates rose 500% between 1987 and 2011 aided by new surveys utilizing more modern seismic technology. It is for this reason that it is important to better understand and assess energy resources in the Mid- and South Atlantic.
A 2013 study concluded that developing offshore oil and natural gas supplies in the Atlantic would create upwards of 280,000 jobs, contribute $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy, generate $51 billion in tax revenue, and provide 1.3 million barrels of new oil equivalent per day. These resources offer a critical opportunity to enhance our energy, economic, and national security by further reducing our reliance on foreign energy and fueling job and economic growth for families and businesses across the United States. New seismic surveys would help inform decision-making and ensure more economically and environmentally effective activity should these resources ultimately be developed.
BOEM previously stated that it selected “the highest practicable level of mitigation measures and safeguards” for these surveys. The agency has also noted that “there has been no documented scientific evidence of noise from air guns used in…seismic activities adversely affecting marine animal populations or coastal communities” and “no known detrimental impact to…commercial fishing.”
Based on this history and experience, it is clear that the proposed activities can be conducted safely and provide data that is vital to local, state, and national interests. To enhance our knowledge and provide information critical to the long-term energy security of families and businesses across the United States, NMFS should promptly issue the survey authorizations without unnecessary conditions.
Sincerely,
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