When Conversations Turn Violent
CEA President David Holt was featured in the Washington Examiner after anti-energy extremists deliberately attempted to shut down critical energy infrastructure, endangering not only first responders, but families, and the environment at risk.
These coordinated eco-terrorist attacks could have been catastrophic. These groups are shifting from peaceful to increasingly violent protests — and it must stop. We all want a clean, safe environment. We need a conversation about how we draw on conservation and efficiency while growing our economy, meeting our essential energy needs and ensuring our nation’s security, but violence and the destruction of property benefits no one.
Read more – Washington Examiner
Countdown to E-Day: Oil, Gas Braces for US Election Outcome
As we count down the days until the election, CEA has commented on what the election cycle has meant for U.S. energy policy.
“It is time we take accountability through responsible energy development that protects not only the environment but hard-working people in our communities,” said CEA President David Holt in a statement.
Read more – Rigzone
Keep Alaska, Gulf of Mexico Sales in Next 5-year OCS Plan, Groups Say
CEA President David Holt was quoted in Alaska Business Monthly in support of offshore energy exploration.
Oil and gas lease sales in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the central and western Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the eastern gulf should remain in the 2017-22 US Outer Continental Shelf management plan, three national groups representing businesses, manufacturers, and energy consumers jointly said in a Nov. 3 letter to US President Barack Obama and Interior Sec. Sally Jewell. Spearheaded by the Consumer Energy Alliance in partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers and US Chamber of Commerce, the letter effort secured 107 signatories representing a wide range of businesses and industries including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction.
Read more – Alaska Business Monthly
Consumers, Businesses, and Manufacturers Voice Support for Offshore Energy
November 3, 2016 — In a letter sent to U.S. President Barack Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell today, groups representing consumers, businesses, and manufacturers from across the country urged the Obama administration to preserve its proposed 2017-2022 offshore oil and natural gas lease sales for the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and Cook Inlet without any additional removals and not to take any executive actions that would remove these or any other areas from consideration under future offshore leasing programs. A decision on the 2017-2022 leasing program is expected in November.
Spearheaded by Consumer Energy Alliance in partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the letter effort secured 107 signatories representing a multitude of sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction.
“Thanks to the U.S. Energy Revolution, American families and businesses have more energy security and are more energy self-sufficient today than we have been in decades – despite efforts by a few vocal agitators who want to stop any and all energy development at the expense of American jobs, businesses and families across the nation,” said Consumer Energy Alliance President David Holt. “The broad geographic and economic spectrum reflected in today’s letter underscores the critical importance of America’s offshore energy resources to a multitude of communities and businesses throughout the economy. We need to start adopting common-sense approaches that support rational, logical, fact-based dialogue and reject a “just say NO” energy strategy. It is time we take accountability through responsible energy development that protects not only the environment but hard-working people in our communities.”
In the letter, over 100 organizations noted that domestic offshore oil and natural gas development helps a diverse range of interests across the U.S. economy more affordably and reliably meet their energy needs, while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and our environmental security. They went on to say that offshore development also generates tens of billions of dollars in economic activity and government revenue, and safeguards U.S. national security by reducing our exposure to geopolitical uncertainty and decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
“Manufacturers need adequate, secure, reliable and affordable energy and raw materials to compete in the global marketplace. and a strong plan to develop energy offshore is vital to manufacturers’ success,” said Ross Eisenberg, National Association of Manufacturers Vice President of Energy and Resources Policy. “The Administration faces a critical decision as it finalizes its offshore leasing plan: will manufacturers continue to enjoy an energy advantage, or will these resources be closed off to them? The NAM is proud to stand side by side with this broad coalition of business and consumer voices to call on the President to support energy development in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic.”
“Policymakers and regulators must not give in to the “keep it in the ground” approach that would result in higher prices for consumers and economic harm for our nation,” said Karen Harbert, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy. “While it was very shortsighted to prohibit any exploration off of our mid Atlantic coast over industry and state objections, it is imperative that we maintain robust offshore energy production in the Gulf and the Arctic to allow America’s manufacturing renaissance to continue and improve our security and competitiveness. That’s why such a broad coalition has come together to stress the importance of maintaining the existing areas available for exploration.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) brings together consumers, farmers, small businesses, producers and manufacturers to engage in a meaningful dialogue about America’s energy future. With more than 400,000 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 consumers to actively engage in the conversation about how we develop and diversify our energy resources and energy’s importance to the economy. CEA promotes a thoughtful dialogue to help produce our abundant energy supply, and balance our energy needs with our nation’s environmental and conservation goals. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.
Contact:
Emily Haggstrom
P: 720-582-0242
ehaggstrom@consumerenergyalliance.org
About the National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.17 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the National Association of Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org
Contact:
Jennifer Drogus
jdrogus@nam.org
P: (202) 637-3090
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. The mission of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. Through policy development, education, and advocacy, the Institute is building support for meaningful action at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Contact:
Matt Letourneau
MLetourneau@uschamber.com
P: (202) 463-5945
World’s Priciest Gas Is Bound for One U.S. Region This Winter
With another winter in full swing, New England consumers – especially working families and seniors on fixed incomes – continue to be at risk of price shocks when the bills are due to power and heat their homes as a result of opposition to new pipelines.
Competition for pipeline access into New England is poised to intensify as the power grid, already getting more than half of its supply from gas, becomes even more reliant on the fuel as coal-fired plants shut. Opposition from environmental and consumer groups threatens to delay and derail new lines, including a $3 billion Spectra Energy Corp. project.
“New England remains pipeline constrained, so if bouts of very cold weather move in this winter, you could certainly see prices spike,” Alex Tertzakian, an analyst with Energy Aspects Ltd. in London, said in an e-mail Oct. 28. “This would likely make New England briefly the world’s premium market.”
Read more – Bloomberg
PA Business Leaders: Shale-gas Pipeline Build-out Needs to Step Up
The lack of sufficient pipeline infrastructure is hampering opportunities for economic development across the state and region, costing Pennsylvanians jobs and better wages.
“I was disappointed to choose Texas, but we had to choose the place where we had easy access to feedstocks,” said Mark G. Nikolich, chief executive of Braskem America, based in Center City.
Nikolich’s message at an event Tuesday sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce was that this region has not developed sufficient energy-hub infrastructure, such as pipelines, to attract big downstream investments in the shale economy.
Read more – Philadelphia Inquirer
Amendment 1 would boost solar energy and benefit all
Kevin Doyle, Executive Director of CEA-Florida, was recently featured in the Historic City News.
Renewable, clean, reliable and getting increasingly more affordable, solar energy is dramatic and can change the globe, starting with the way Florida harvests and consumes electricity. So it’s imperative that we have the right set of balanced policies to ensure that its deployment is done thoughtfully and in a way that uniformly benefits all energy consumers, solar and non-solar — and foremost is policies like Amendment 1.
Read more – Historic City News
Help Secure America’s Offshore Energy Future
America’s energy future is at stake – Sign Below!
Anti-energy extremists convinced the Obama Administration to ignore public opinion and remove the Atlantic from the oil and natural gas leasing program! Now they’re turning their efforts to removing the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska from that program, and calling on President Obama to take executive action to remove Alaska and the Atlantic from consideration in future leasing programs as well.
We need your help to tell President Obama and Interior Secretary Jewell to listen to America and support energy development, jobs and the economy now, and not to remove the possibility of future leasing in the Gulf and Alaska and other regions like the Atlantic! Otherwise, our ability to meet the nation’s energy needs through access to affordable, reliable supplies will be placed in serious jeopardy.
Sign the petition below to tell the federal government to make the responsible decision: Keep the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska in the next offshore oil & natural gas program, and do not take any actions that would hurt American families by removing these or any other areas from future programs!
Dear President Obama,
As you and your administration prepare to make a final decision on which areas to maintain in the nation’s next offshore oil and natural gas leasing program, I urge you to keep the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Arctic and Cook Inlet fully intact without any further removals. In addition, I urge you to refrain from taking any executive actions that would preclude future leasing opportunities in these or any other areas.
Domestic offshore energy allows us to more affordably and reliably use our SmartPhones, warm our homes, power our cars, harvest our food and manufacture our clothes, shoes and virtually every single thing we use each and every day, to the benefit of American families across the country. Restricting opportunities to access this lifeblood of our economy and way of life would unnecessarily hit consumer pocketbooks, threaten jobs, and jeopardize our security by increasing our dependence on foreign energy, which in turn would increase environmental risks, as you and your administration have acknowledged.
Again, to ensure our long-term energy and economic security, I urge you and your administration not to further reduce the areas available for offshore leasing between 2017 and 2022. I further urge you not to take any actions that would reduce the availability of areas available in future offshore leasing programs.
Sincerely,
cc: Interior Secretary Sally Jewell
Connecticut DEEP’s Flawed Natural Gas Decision Could Drive Up State’s Already High Electricity Rates
On behalf of our 400,000 nationwide members, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading national consumer advocate on energy issues, responded today to a recent decision by Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) to cancel the procurement of more natural gas for the region. This unfortunate decision was made despite recent statements by New England’s grid manager, ISO New England, saying that the region’s “power system continues to be in a precarious position during extended periods of extreme cold” – and that this would “continue until New England’s natural gas infrastructure is expanded to meet the demand for gas.”
In response to this news, CEA President David Holt issued the following statement:
“CEA is very disappointed with the decision by CT DEEP to cancel the procurement of more natural gas that is vitally needed for families, seniors, and small businesses struggling with some of the highest electricity prices in the country. While we appreciate and recognize the agency’s ability to revisit infrastructure needs in a future proposal, regulatory officials need to recognize the urgency of now. Each state in the region must commit to finding a solution to New England’s energy problems. Residential rates in Connecticut are already 70 percent higher than the national average, and New England continues to suffer from a significant natural gas infrastructure shortfall to meet existing and future demand during cold weather events. Critical gas infrastructure doesn’t come online overnight, and federal energy experts have already predicted that home heating bills this winter could go up an average of $116 nationwide. That’s why Connecticut households and businesses should be concerned about how this decision will impact future price spikes, the possibility of electric blackouts, and shortages of energy for home heating without additional capacity.”
“While CEA supports an all-of-the-above energy portfolio that recognizes the important role renewables play in power generation, we must recognize that renewables alone will not come close to meeting basic energy needs, which will ultimately lead to shortages or extreme costs for household and businesses. People across the region have expressed support for natural gas and renewables. By using both, not only does it help to reduce emissions in the state, but also allows helps to ensure reliability for families and businesses across the state.”
“We are deeply troubled that New England’s policymakers continue to defy logic and roll the dice on reliability. Connecticut’s families need a plan in these tough times, and policymakers can do something now about these unnecessarily high electric rates. Status quo decision-making means higher power bills for those who can afford it least, and that’s unacceptable.”
