Keystone Celebrates 1 Billion Barrels While Keystone XL Sits in Limbo
The Keystone pipeline just passed an important milestone: last month, TransCanada announced that the pipeline has safely delivered more than one billion barrels of crude oil since construction finished five years ago.
So, what does one billion barrels of oil amount to? To put it in perspective, one billion barrels of oil is about how much lies beneath Oklahoma,where energy production has been a boon to the state’s economy. That’s one billion barrels of oil that have been safely delivered across thousands of miles, a task that would have taken 1.7 million train cars or 3.3 million trucks. What’s more, the Keystone pipeline has generated, to date, close to $200 million in property taxes and more than 14,000 construction jobs.
But despite this major accomplishment of the existing Keystone pipeline system, plans to build the next leg of the pipeline, Keystone XL, still remain stalled after six years of delays. In addition to the jobs and revenue created by the Keystone pipeline, the KXL would support another 42,100 jobs during construction and contribute $55.6 million in annual property taxes in just the first year of operation.
The Obama Administration continues to block efforts to finally approve the KXL, holding back the jobs and wealth that would boost the economies of states and counties along the route. If the success of the Keystone pipeline is any indicator of how the KXL will operate, it’s clear that the federal government should move forward on the project soon.
What can you do? Take Action to tell President Obama to approve Keystone XL!
2 Reasons Why Washing Dishes by Hand is a Waste of Money- Use a Dishwasher!
Leaving one household chore off your checklist could save time, water, energy AND money according to several organizations dedicated to promoting energy efficiency. Consumer Reports, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy all say that washing your dishes by hand is not only a drain on time, energy and water, but is completely unnecessary, according to the Washington Post:
- Dishwashers are more energy efficient than ever! Because of federal standards and advances in technology, dishwashers more energy efficient, saving you money.
“While it may be possible to use less water/energy by washing dishes by hand, it is extremely unlikely,” Jonah Schein, technical coordinator for homes and buildings in the EPA’s WaterSense program, said in a statement. Schein was referring, in particular, to Energy Star-certified dishwashers, not all dishwashers.
By using less energy to do the same job, an Energy Star-certified dishwasher can help reduce overall energy usage which translates to savings on your monthly utility bill.
- Newer dishwashers save more water than you can! “In order to wash the same amount of dishes that can fit in a single load of a full size dishwasher and use less water, you would need to be able to wash eight full place settings and still limit the total amount of time that the faucet was running to less than two minutes,” he said.This saves not only water, but even more energy when you take into consideration the energy used to heat the water used for handwashing.
But can your dishes really get clean without a quick-prewash? If your dishwasher is a newer model, then absolutely, according to one expert:
“An old dishwasher, to generalize, didn’t get dishes very clean unless you pre-washed,” says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. “The new dishwashers, that is not an issue. Almost all of them have what’s called soil sensors. Depending on how dirty the dishes are, they will wash more or less. They will get the dishes clean.”
So the next time you’re facing a sink full of dirty dishes, do yourself and your water bill a favor: load the dishwasher and walk away.
CEA Reaction to the Release of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan
Consumer Energy Alliance President, David Holt released this statement following today’s release of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s final Clean Power Plan:
“Consumer Energy Alliance is disappointed that the White House failed to give significant consideration to the impacts to energy consumers in its final version of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ released today.
“Study after study has shown that these rules will raise both electricity and natural gas prices for all American consumers, threaten grid reliability and security, and take an amount of electricity equal to the total electricity demand of New England offline with no plan to replace the lost production. All within an extremely tight timeline.
“CEA remains committed to fighting for affordable reliable electricity supplies and will work directly with the states to develop an implementation strategy for these regulations that will minimize the damage that they inflict on the economy.”
The rule as released cracks down on carbon dioxide emissions from power generation plants under section 111d of the Clean Air Act.
CEA, Organizations, Elected Officials and Regulators Voice Concern on EPA “Clean Power Plan”
The American economy is literally energized by one of the world’s most complex and efficient machines – the nation’s electrical grid and its associated power plants. Since Edison and the 1880’s, this interconnected grid has operated best through close-to-the-customer oversight at the state level.
[bq]The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to federalize our nation’s energy policy through the burdensome “Clean Power Plan”.[/bq]
The undersigned group of citizens, elected officials and regulators say again to U.S. EPA that their extremely burdensome regulation without due consideration of customers should be cause for concern.
Last summer in response to the draft “Clean Power Plan”, hundreds of leaders with diverse backgrounds across the nation came together to tell U.S. EPA that the “Plan” should:
- Consider customer costs;
- Preserve fuel options;
- Maintain electric grid reliability and;
- Respect states-rights and their unique circumstances.
To the first point, the U.S. Supreme Court recently reprimanded U.S. EPA for not including consumer costs in their evaluation of other regulations. It appears EPA didn’t get the message.
Consumers across the country call for a retooling of the “Plan” that gives credit for the significant emissions reductions America has already accomplished, provides realistic timelines for compliance, thoughtfully considers impacts on consumers, and pays deference to states’ authority to make energy decisions in the ultimate interest of consumers and ratepayers.
To avoid production and planning uncertainty related to our nation’s vital energy infrastructure, EPA should reconsider its “Plan” in light of all the ongoing court proceedings and the legitimate concerns raised by bipartisan policymakers, non-partisan regulators, and the consumers they serve. Jobs, reliability and consumers of energy across the nation depend on this relief.
Alaska Senator Cathy Giessel
Atlanta Metro Chamber
Al Henley, (retired) President of Alabama AFL-CIO
Consumer Energy Alliance
Georgia Public Service Commission, Chairman Chuck Eaton
Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols
Georgia Rep. Chuck Martin
Georgia Agribusiness Council
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
IBEW Local Union 111
IBEW Local Union 5
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Manufacture Alabama
North Dakota Rep. Bob Skarphol
Ohio Rep. Mike Dovilla
Mayor Ray Beck, Craig, CO
Operating Engineers Local 66
Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy (PACE)
Pennsylvania Senator Pat Stefano
Pennsylvania Camera Bartolotta
Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Kortz
Pennsylvania Coal Alliance
Utah Rep. Steve Handy
Wyoming Sen. Drew Perkins
Seasonal Factors Temporarily Drive Down Diesel Costs
Interesting news if you regularly fill your tank with diesel fuel instead of gasoline!
For the first time in six years, average diesel prices are cheaper than gasoline. But it’s not a trend that’s expected to last. The EIA reports that a confluence of factors are making average diesel prices drop below average retail gasoline prices starting in January, including “the typical seasonal demand pattern, which is strongest for diesel in the winter heating season and strongest for gasoline in summer, has been amplified by especially strong demand for gasoline in the United States and abroad.”
These circumstances, including a recent increase in demand for gasoline, have combined to flip the usual trends that keep gasoline markets weak and diesel in high demand. As a result, diesel and gasoline prices have roughly reached price parity, with the U.S. price of regular gasoline and diesel averaging at $2.80 per gallon and $2.78 per gallon respectively.
However, the EIA warns consumers not to get used to relatively cheap diesel, “as gasoline demand moderates with the end of the summer driving season and diesel demand begins to grow in response to the fall agricultural harvest and the winter heating season.”
Consumer Energy Alliance Welcomes New Member: Crafton, Tull & Associates
HOUSTON – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is pleased to welcome the Crafton, Tull & Associates as its newest affiliate member.
Since 2007, the Crafton Tull Energy Division has surveyed over 5,000 miles of pipeline right-of-way, staked over 5,000 well locations, and surveyed hundreds of square miles of ownership in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The professionals at Crafton Tull recognize that speed and accuracy directly impact clients’ success, therefore, they implement advanced technologies to improve performance at all levels.
“We are very proud of the success of our team. We credit much of that success to mutual respect and the idea that failure is not an option,” said Lane Housley, Executive Vice President for Energy Services. “By partnering with CEA, we are looking forward to continued success with not only Energy projects but all projects for our clients and communities we serve.”
Crafton Tull is a six-office, multi-discipline professional service firm with offices located throughout the Arkansas and Oklahoma region. Engineering News Record ranks them among the top 500 design firm nationally. They are currently ranked the 203rd largest architectural practice by Architectural Record and one of the fastest growing architectural, engineering and surveying firms by Zweig White.
“CEA is more than pleased to be affiliated with a solid company like Crafton Tull,” said Executive Vice President Tommy Foltz. “The services they provide play a vital role in developing energy infrastructure projects necessary to deliver affordable energy to the consumer in a safe and responsible way. We look forward to a long working relationship with them.”
For more information on Crafton, Tull & Associates, visit their website.
For more information on Consumer Energy Alliance, please visit ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org or contact Amelie Fredland at (713) 337-8833, afredland@consmerenergyalliance.org.
The Least and Most Energy-Expensive States to Live In – and How to Keep Costs Low
Feel like your energy bill is higher than most? Depending on where you live, you might be right.
With more Americans looking for a reprieve from the blistering hot weather and the hole it has been burning in their wallet, WalletHub.com, the personal finance website, has ranked the least and most energy-expensive states in terms of energy prices, highlighting where American consumers are more likely to catch a financial break in the weeks ahead. About 7.3 percent of the average American’s total annual income goes toward energy costs.
Those in Washington, D.C., will catch the biggest break, the survey says.
In terms of average total monthly costs, the District of Columbia is the least energy-expensive state, with total energy costs — electricity, natural gas, home heating oil, and motor fuel — averaging about $223 per month. The nation’s capital city also had the lowest monthly electricity and motor fuel costs.
Following the District of Columbia, the five least energy-expensive states were:
- Colorado ($244)
- Washington ($245)
- Oregon ($261)
- Arizona ($268)
- New Mexico ($274)
The top five most energy-expensive states were:
- Connecticut ($410)
- Wyoming ($355)
- Massachusetts ($352)
- Alaska ($349)
- Rhode Island ($346)
But lower prices do not always equate with lower costs, officials warn. Consumption plays an equally important role, too.
Household in areas with cheap electricity prices can wind up with higher out-of-pocket costs than those in energy-expensive states if their total consumption is exceedingly higher. That means most consumers, regardless of where they live, should go the extra mile this summer to keep their energy bills low when cooling their homes.
With that in mind, here are a few easy-to-do steps you can take to beat the heat and drive down costs:
- Use a microwave or grill — and not the oven – to cook food.
- Keep your refrigerator full. The less space inside to cool, the less the refrigerator has to work.
- Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away.
- Schedule regular maintenance for your cooling equipment and replace air filters frequently.
- Utilize ceiling and portable fans, which can save about 25 percent and make the temperature seem 10 degrees cooler.
- Use appliances wisely. Turn off the dry cycle on your dishwasher, use only the warm or cold water setting on your washing machine, and don’t use your dryer. Line dry your clothes.
- Install a whole house fan, which draws cool air into your home through the windows while forcing hot air out through your attic vents
- Utilize window coverings and shades like patio coverings or awnings
- Turn down the water heater, which can account for up to 25% of the energy consumed in your home.
- Shorten the operating time for your pool filter or sweeper, and run it during off-peak hours.
