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Consumer Energy Alliance Applauds Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Decision

HOUSTON, TX: Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) agrees with the decision made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to grant the dunes sagebrush lizard endangered status under the Endangered Species Act. CEA has been an active voice in favor of not classifying the lizards as “endangered” or “threatened,” and recently submitted over 13,000 public comments from consumer-advocates to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“CEA supports the decision made by the Fish and Wildlife Service,” said CEA President David Holt. “The Department of the Interior has made it clear that they will not make a listing  that jeopardizes domestic energy production on the basis of questionable science and arbitrary rules. We are proud and gratified that the work we and other advocates for energy consumers have done has made such an impact.

“Going forward, we hope that federal regulators and members of the oil and gas industry will continue to work cooperatively to ensure efficient and environmentally responsible energy development proceeds. CEA recognizes the value and necessity of access to domestic energy for our nation’s consumers and applauds the Fish and Wildlife Service for not taking steps that would have, without a doubt, undermined those efforts.”

June 2012 Newsletter

June 2012 CEA Newsletter
Issue 63

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

The falling prices at the pump have been a welcome relief to motorists and businesses, many of whom have faced difficult budget decisions as gas prices began rising last year.  Looking at the headlines over the few weeks, the drop in prices has made an impact.  According to AAA, over 30 million Americans traveled by car this Memorial Day weekend, a half million more persons than last year.  AAA attributes this modest, but promising, increase to lower than expected fuel costs.

Despite the price decrease, we must remember that in 2011 the average cost for a gallon of gasoline was $3.52 a gallon, which cost average American households $4,155.  This represented about 8.4% of a median family income and was the highest percentage spent on fuel since 1981.  Today’s national average is $3.58, down over twenty cents from last month.  Clearly, fuel costs will continue to be a significant drain on family incomes, notwithstanding slight decreases in price.  In speaking with your average trucker, farmer, commuter or small business owner, few would argue that $3.58 is a low price for fuel.

During this election season, a twenty-cent decrease in the price of gasoline should be no means move the discussion on the campaign trail away from energy policy.  Of course the urgency of the matter will dissipate; it’s hard to keep Washington’s focus on anything for too long.  For this exact reason, Consumer Energy Alliance advocates year-round for policies that influence long-term stability in energy prices and works with consumer-advocates like you to keep Americans engaged in the discussion.

Your voice is critical. Gasoline shouldn’t have to spike to $4 a gallon to grab the attention of our elected officials. Consumers need long-term assurances that energy prices will be affordable. Therefore, policymakers must be aggressive now to purse an “all-of-the-above” energy policy that harnesses domestic energy resources with the understanding that actions now will help promote stability in the long-run.

Oil prices will continue to fluctuate dramatically in the absence of a sound, long-term energy plan.  As oil prices go, so goes gasoline and diesel prices.  As difficult as it may be to maintain the candidates’ focus on energy policy in the absence of $4 a gallon gasoline, history proves that making bold decisions now will lay a solid foundation for the future and mitigate the impact of the next oil price crisis.

Speak out now.  Visit CEA’s Call to Action page to demand sensible energy policy.  Further, express your thoughts on the direction of our nation’s energy policy at a townhall or campaign event in your hometown this summer.

David Holt
President



Allow Energy Access in the Alaskan Petroleum Reserve

We don’t know how to explain this without sounding downright silly.  Right now, Americans need to fight Washington for its rights to maintain the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska as a – wait for it – a petroleum reserve!  The federal Bureau of Land Management has drafted a new management plan for the reserve in which many of the alternatives would prohibit producers from accessing abundant energy resources.

Act now!  Tell the federal government to allow oil & gas leasing and infrastructure development in the petroleum reserve. Sign the letter here by the June 15th deadline!

 

Urge Washington to Stop Delaying – Allow Energy Development in the Atlantic

 

Offshore energy development is a vital component of our nation’s energy and economic strategy.  But, as of now, only part of America’s expansive offshore areas is open to oil & gas development.  The Mid- and South- Atlantic Ocean – from Delaware on down to Florida – could hold up to 7 billion barrels of oil and 66 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and thus

Right now, the agency is accepting input on how it should proceed with assessing the potential for oil & gas development and for offshore wind energy in the Atlantic.

Act Now: Sign the letter here by July 2, 2012.  If you want more information on the comment period, feel free to visit the Bureau’s site on this comment period. Or, visit this page for more information from CEA.

Looking Forward to Energy Day 2012

Energy Day 2012 will take place at Hermann Square, City Hall in Downtown Houston, Texas on Saturday, October 20, 2012. The FREE festival will feature live music, food, contests and interactive exhibits showcasing all forms of energy.

 

Upcoming Energy Day Contests

Later this summer, Consumer Energy Alliance is partnering with Houston Geological Society and Houston Museum of Natural Science Wiess Energy Hall’s Energy & Conservation Club to host our second annual art, essay and media contest.  These Energy Day challenges invite children of all ages to compete for prizes ranging from $50-$250.

Download contest rules and entry forms

For more information on entering or questions, please visit www.energydayfestival.org or contact Kathleen Koehler at kkoehler@consumerenergyalliance.org.

Winning students will be recognized and receive awards at Energy Day and will be invited to display their projects at Energy Day on October 20, 2012.

 

Help Spread the Word for Energy Day 2012

CEA has undertaken many new initiatives to help spread the word on Energy Day, but we can’t do it alone.  We need your help to make the public more aware of this fantastic FREE festival.  Please take time to look at our Energy Day Facebook and Twitter (@EnergyDayFest) and get our message out on your own Twitter and Facebook pages.

CEA has also partnered with NASA’s Third Rock Radio to help spread the word.  THIRD ROCK is an online radio station, broadcasting live 24/7 with a mission of New Rock Discovery, and a passion for the excitement of what’s happening at NASA.  Take some time and give Third Rock a listen.  You will hear great music and a few advertisements for Energy Day!

For more information on Energy Day 2012 or the 2012 EDAP events, please contact Kathleen Koehler at KKoehler@consumerenergyalliance.org.

 

Beat High Energy Prices This Summer!

Here at CEA, we are always looking for ways consumers can save money on energy costs. Whether you own a business or a house, higher summer energy costs affect us all.

For those of you who are business owners, please take a second to look at the American Trucking Associations’ Fuel Crisis Survival Kit, which includes tips for conserving energy and getting the most mileage out of your fuel.

To keep the utility bills in check, check-out some tips from quickandsimple.com on how to keep your home cool while maintaining optimum efficiency:

1. Keep Lamps and TVs Far from the Thermostat

Sure, they provide light to read by, but they also exude heat, causing your AC to run overtime. Plant the standing lamps and television across the room if you can and consider switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, which generate less heat, last longer and use less energy than incandescent bulbs.

2. Insulate Intelligently

You know the feeling: somehow, it always seems 10 degrees hotter upstairs than it does in your living room. Reduce the effect of the sun’s sizzling rays by insulating your attic. This will prevent the heat that builds up on top from filtering down into the rest of the house.

3. Get Window Wise

During those scorching days, close your curtains and blinds to prevent the sun from beating down into the rooms and needlessly warming your home. Bonus: It will reduce fading of upholstery and rugs.

4. Make Use of Your Microwave

Prepping dinner? Not only is it quicker and a lot more convenient, but four minutes in the microwave requires much less power than a half hour in the oven.

5. Plant a Tree

Plant deciduous trees (those that shed their leaves in the winter, like a maple) by the south and west sides of your home to shade windows from heat. In the winter, their bare branches will allow sunlight to stream into your home for added warmth. Also consider planting trees or shrubs near your AC unit. It will use less electricity when operating under the shade.

Consumer Energy Alliance Welcomes New Member Pioneer Natural Resources

HOUSTON, TX: Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is pleased to welcome Pioneer Natural Resources as its newest affiliate member.

Pioneer Natural Resources is a large, independent exploration and production company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company employs more than 3,000 people and produces approximately 147,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The company is currently pursuing several emerging oil and natural gas liquids resource plays in Texas, such as the Wolfcamp, Eagle Ford, and Barnett Shale plays.

Pioneer further maintains significant conventional oil operations in the Permian Basin as well as natural gas operations in the Raton Basin in Colorado and in its mid-Continent asset area. With its Oooguruk project in Alaska, Pioneer is also the first independent to operate on the North Slope.

“Consumer Energy Alliance is pleased to work closely with Pioneer on energy issues at a national and regional level,” said CEA President David Holt. “CEA’s most essential function is to unite producers and consumers in an effort to promote rational energy policy. It is imperative that we develop energy policies that allow companies like Pioneer to provide consumers with domestically produced products that can help reduce rising fuel costs. CEA looks forward to working closely with Pioneer to provide consumers with credible energy information and learning first-hand some of the concerns they have about federal and state energy policies.”

“As a company that relies on sound, rational energy policy, Pioneer has a vested interest in legislation and regulations that affect the exploration and production of oil and gas resources,” said Pioneer Vice President of Sustainability and Communications Susan Spratlen. “We are proud to partner with CEA and share its goal of developing a balanced national exploration energy policy. Development of viable energy policies should be a top priority among our elected officials, and partnering with an organization such as CEA will only prove to enhance our position. It is also vitally important to communicate effectively with the public, and we believe our partnership with CEA can help achieve that goal.”

CEA’s Andrew Browning on WIZM

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Consumer Energy Alliance Presents EDAP Awards to Winners at Energy City of the Future 2050 and Young Inventor’s Showcase of Houston Competitions

HOUSTON, TX – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) has awarded 105 winning students through the 2012 Energy Day Academic Program (EDAP) since it began in February. Two more competitions from this year’s program concluded over the weekend where eight students received awards at the Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition and nineteen students were awarded at the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Young Inventor’s Showcase.

On Friday, May 18, CEA awarded the winners of the Cooperative for After School Enrichment’s (CASE) Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition. The eight winners, representing local Middle and High schools, created and presented scale models of Houston for the year 2050 demonstrating energy development, usage and delivery. Volunteers from the local energy industry judged student entries.

On Saturday, May 19, the Children’s Museum of Houston hosted the city-wide 24th Annual Young Inventors’ Showcase. This competition encourages the budding inventor in every child by providing a platform for children to share and celebrate their invention ideas. Nineteen students received an Energy Day Academic Award, and the grand prize winner is receiving the services of a patent attorney to research and request a patent for the invention.

Winning students from each competition will be awarded a monetary prize at Houston’s second annual Energy Day Festival at City Hall in downtown Houston, TX on October 20, 2012. Earlier this year, CEA partnered with several Houston-area educational institutions, including CASE and the Children’s Museum of Houston, to help encourage broad participation in science and energy-related academic competitions through the Energy Day Academic Program. These competitions mark the fifth and sixth events in this year’s program which culminates at Energy Day in October.

“CEA is happy to provide awards to these students for their dedication and achievement in these competitions,” said David Holt, CEA’s President. “On October 20, 2012 downtown Houston will be buzzing with people eager to see the future scientists and innovators who will be awarded at the second annual Energy Day Festival hosted by Consumer Energy Alliance, the City of Houston and dozens of our leading energy innovators. CEA’s continued partnership with area academic institutions through EDAP is a key component of Energy Day’s commitment to educating Houston area students on the impact energy has on their daily lives.”

For more information about Energy Day and EDAP, please visit the Energy Day 2012 website at www.energydayfestival.org. To follow up on the latest updates for Energy Day, follow Energy Day on Facebook and Twitter.

The Dollars and “Sense” of Energy Conservation

On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, families across the nation are gearing up for those joyous summer pastimes: vacations to the beach, neighborhood block parties, and summer camp, just to name a few.  Yet, for many families summer also means time to crank up the air conditioner and watch that utility bill rise.  In order to beat the heat but still hold onto their wallets, homeowners are increasingly turning to efficiency and conservation to keep their electric bills low.

The basic math of energy conservation is pretty, well, basic. Use less, pay less.  Fortunately, this simple concept has caught on in a huge way.

In a new report from consulting firm Deloitte, 83% of energy consumers have taken steps to reduce their energy usage and save money, compared to 68% in its 2011 survey.  While most of the persons identified the recession as a reason for this recent energy frugality, 94% of those surveyed believed they will continue to implement energy saving measures even if the economy improves.

It’s not just homeowners focused on energy savings.  Ninety percent of businesses surveyed in the report have set some of type of energy management goals and practices, mostly to cut costs and ensure the business remains competitive.  As CEA highlighted in its Sustainability Report 2010, the private sector continues to make tremendous strides in energy efficiency and conservation, efforts which have paid off significantly for these businesses and their customers.  For instance, when Dow Chemical first set its sustainability goals, it projected the company would spend $1 billion to fulfill these objectives and receive a return on investment of about $2 to $3 billion.  A few years later, that return on investment has exceeded $5 billion.

We have to give a high-five as well to the energy providers and utilities that have strongly promoted energy efficiency programs.  Over half of consumers surveyed reported that they have received good tips from their energy providers on ways to easily conserve energy.  Even better, many utilities have begun offering interactive tools for customers to monitor and moderate energy usage. One of the cooler tools we’ve seen allows Facebook users to “compete” with their friends to see who’s saving more energy.

While it’s awesome news to learn how widespread energy consciousness has become, we understand that for many businesses and homes additional energy savings will be a little tricky.  As the report illustrates, 69% of businesses anticipate that cutting energy costs below the “low-hanging fruit” will be challenging.  Notwithstanding current efficiency efforts, U.S. energy consumption is projected to increase significantly over the next twenty years.  This is why it’s all the more important to support businesses and consumers who work to overcome hurdles to energy conservation and advance sensible, cost-effective solutions.

Consumer Group Welcomes Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association as its Newest Member

PITTSBURGH, PA: Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is pleased to announce that the Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association (MAEA) has joined as its newest affiliate member.  MAEA is a non-profit, membership-based organization that offers training, educational development opportunities and consulting services to support the advancement of local business and industry in Northeast Pennsylvania.

“We’re proud to partner with an organization that aligns with our goals of supporting job creation and business growth, helping manufacturers to remain competitive and developing domestic energy resources responsibly,” said Darlene J. Robbins, president of the Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association. “MAEA and its vast member network throughout Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties, are pleased to join Consumer Energy Alliance in its advocacy of an energy policy that supports the responsible development of our natural resources and promotes economic stability.”

“Consumer Energy Alliance is pleased to welcome the Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association as our newest member,” said CEA Mid-Atlantic Director, Mike Mikus. “As an organization with 300 active member companies that stretch across Northeast Pennsylvania, MAEA plays a significant role in the ongoing energy debate and shale development in the region. We look forward to working together and enhancing their involvement and awareness of important energy issues and policy affecting Pennsylvania manufacturers and the business community.”

For more information about the Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association, please visit http://www.maeaweb.biz/.

CEA Warns Against Costly Fuel Program in Oregon

CEA Warns Against Costly Fuel Program in Oregon

 WASHINGTON – At Governor Kitzhaber’s direction, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued a draft rule for beginning implementation of a state low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) program, calling it a “Clean Fuels Program.” The program closely mirrors other LCFS proposals that have been studied at length and have been found to be devastating to local economies while also being ineffective in curbing emissions.   A similar program in California was recently ruled unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Lawrence O’Neill for violating the commerce clause.

Upon issuance of the draft rule, Michael Whatley, Executive Vice President of the Consumer Energy Alliance, made the following statement:

“Today’s action by the Department of Environmental Quality is a troubling development. Low carbon fuel standard programs like this one, which seek to ration the use of gasoline and diesel, are economic growth killers.  These programs mandate the use of biofuels which have limited commercial availability and are more costly for consumers, small business and working families.

“Additionally, studies clearly demonstrate that LCFS programs will prove ineffective in actually reducing carbon emissions.  The last thing that drivers in Oregon need is a program that will double their gasoline prices and won’t help the environment.”

A study by Charles River Associates found that an LCFS could create a price shock of about a 30 to 80% increase in the cost of transportation fuels within 5 years of the time the program was implemented and up to a 170% in 10 years.  The shock would be caused by the large increase in production of low carbon fuels required to achieve the reductions in emissions required by the standard.

Like the program recently proposed in California, Oregon’s would also be creating a non-competitive situation due to the fact that the state receives the bulk of its fuel from Washington state and California.  Fuel providers will have to accept whether they will pay cost of compliance with Oregon or abandon the market altogether.  Even those spearheading similar programs have recognized the legal uncertainty surrounding LCFS.  Recently, executive director of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) Arthur Marin expressed concern in a recent interview about the constitutionality of California’s LCFS program, pushing NESCAUM to examine alternative models for a low carbon fuel standard.

A copy of the proposed program can be found here.

CEA Welcomes Inquiry of Five-Year Offshore Development Plan and Future Needs

CEA Welcomes Inquiry of Five-Year Offshore Development Plan and Future Needs
CEA supports congressional efforts to understand future impacts
of Obama Administration’s draft five year plan

HOUSTON, TX: Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) strongly supports today’s House Committee on Natural Resources’s hearing highlighting the Obama Administration’s draft five year offshore leasing plan and its impacts on affordable energy supplies for the American consumer and economy.

The hearing will feature Tommy Beadreau, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, who will provide testimony and answer questions from lawmakers on the plan’s development, implementation and priorities.

CEA President David Holt released the following statement on the hearing:

“We are encouraged that Chairman Hastings continues to make the safe and responsible development of our nation’s offshore resources a key focus of his committee and one of our top national priorities. After all, energy is the lifeblood of our economy and its continued availability is critical to the success of our nation’s businesses and consumers.

“It is important to take a hard look at the plan to understand if it meets our national energy security and economic priorities.  The current proposed lease sale has removed wide swaths of our nation’s offshore resources from development until 2017 leaving the affordable energy, government revenues and needed jobs it would create on the sidelines as our economy continues to emerge from the ongoing recession.

“Studies have shown that just returning to historical production levels in the Gulf of Mexico could provide between 110,000 to 230,000 jobs with larger offshore development having the potential to create over 1 million jobs and billions in additional revenues.

“At a time when our nation continues its nascent economic recovery, this hearing will help ensure we make sound energy policy decisions that will benefit the nation’s consumers and businesses.”

May 2012 Newsletter

May 2012 CEA Newsletter
Issue 62


Practical Policies and Sensible Solutions

Recently, Consumer Energy Alliance has been hard at work, educating consumers and policymakers of the importance of our national energy policy and urging voters and candidates alike to prioritize energy as part of the debate leading up to the elections in November.  And, we’ve been thrilled to see the amount of attention paid to our nation’s energy consumers by the presidential candidates.

However, we realize that actions always speak louder than words.  Advocating for an “all-of-the-above” energy policy goes far beyond the podium and the teleprompter.  Truly embracing a comprehensive energy policy will require a thorough evaluation of who we are as a nation and the dedication to build a foundation of success for future generations.

When it comes to energy policy, sound bytes and short-term solutions will not solve the problems we face.  In order to establish long-term economic growth and advance energy self-sufficiency, America must acknowledge that a sound energy policy must properly balance economic growth and environmental protection.

America is on the verge of a dramatic revolution.  Low natural gas costs and access to abundant supplies have led to a resurgence in manufacturing.  Technology has allowed us to access energy resources – from fossil fuels to nuclear and renewable energy – in more efficient and more environmentally friendly ways than ever before.  The United States is back on track to be a nation of doers: an economy that exports more than it imports and leads more than it follows.

Yet, poor policies can abruptly derail this progress.  Recently, CEA has noticed the negative impact that misguided and abused regulations can have for our nation’s energy development.

Recently, we learned that the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act.  On the surface, this action probably wouldn’t alarm most Americans.  However, if you talk to energy producers in New Mexico and Texas, you’ll quickly learn that a listing would go a long ways towards shutting in oil and gas production in the resource-rich Permian basin.  Despite the extensive conversation plans that industry has developed to protect the lizard and its habitat, opposition groups remain convinced that the Endangered Species Act provides a way to prevent domestic energy production.  This surely isn’t the intent behind the law.

In another noticeable instance, offshore operators off Alaska have been asked to jump through a series of regulatory hoops in order to explore leases in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas this summer.  After a series of conditional approvals, additional requirements and hundreds of millions invested in safety preparations, the operator may be – just may be – able to move forward this summer.  Regulators do play an important role in ensuring operations can proceed safely in the Arctic, but these same regulators cannot allow outside forces to abuse our nation’s laws and regulations as a means to distract, delay and disable energy production in the United States.

In both of these examples, there exists a middle road: a way to conserve and protect the environment and develop our natural resources.  Typically, technology plays a critical role in mitigating environmental impacts.  But, more and more, we must also ensure that policies and regulations allow technology and sound practices to play that balancing role.  Automatically saying “no” to energy production is no longer a sensible solution in a nation thirsty for economic growth.

 

David Holt
President


Looking Forward to Energy Day 2012

CEA is looking forward Energy Day 2012 which will take place at Hermann Square, City Hall in Downtown Houston, Texas on Saturday, October 20, 2012. The festival will feature  live music, food, contests and most importantly interactive exhibits and demonstrations showcasing all forms of energy from oil and natural gas to solar and hydropower and everything in between, as well as efficiency and conservation.

CEA would like to thank all of our partners and sponsors for this event.  Here is the current list of Energy Day sponsors and partners:

ABC-13/KTRK-TV, Alief Independent School District, American Association of University Women – West Harris County Branch – WSF Group, Anadarko, Apache, Caterpillar, CenterPoint Energy, Children’s Museum of Houston, City of Houston, ConocoPhillips, Cooperative for After-School Enrichment (CASE), CSTEM Teacher & Student Support Services, El Paso, Energy People Connect, Freedom Solar, Geophysical Society of Houston, Geophysics Rocks!, German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US, Inc., Greater Houston Partnership, Harris County Department of Education, Houston Community College-Northeast Energy Institute, Houston Geological Society, Houston Independent School District, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Wiess Energy Hall, Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, Houston Renewable Energy Network, Houston Technology Center, HoustonWorks USA, Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), Lantrip Environmental Science Magnet School, Lone Star College System, NASA’s 3rd Rock Radio, National Algae Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, Offshore Energy Center, Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America, San Jacinto College – Energy Venture Camp, Science & Engineering Fair of Houston, Shell, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Society of Women Engineers – Houston Area Section, Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, Texas Southern University, Jesse H. Jones School of Business, Total Energy USA, TransCanada, University of Houston, University of Houston – Downtown, University of Texas

CEA will continue working with our Academic Partners to engage students in energy education through the Energy Day Academic Program (EDAP).  EDAP was created to reward students who strive for greatness in energy-related academic competitions that run throughout the school year.   Those who win at an Energy Day Academic Program event will be awarded for their excellence and commitment to energy and education.  The 2012 Energy Day Academic Program consists of the following competitions:

May 18, 2012: Houston: Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition

May 19, 2012: The Children’s Museum of Houston Young Inventors’ Showcase on

Spring 2012: The HGS/HMNS/CEA Art, Essay & Media Contests

For more information on Energy Day 2012 or the 2012 EDAP events, please contact Kathleen Koehler at KKoehler@consumerenergyalliance.org.


CEA In the News

CEA rolled on through the month of March with a strong media presence.  Throughout the month CEA received media hits from all forms of media including radio, TV, blogs, news articles, press releases and more.  The topics with significant contributions to this success are the Gulf Coast Energy Summit and rising gas prices.

A few of the highlights of CEA’s recent media success:

  • High Gas Prices
    • Visit this link to view an Op-Ed written b y CEA Executive Vice-President Michael Whatley.
    • Here is a CEA Blog written about policies that could help alleviate rising gas prices.
  • Natural Gas
    • CEA Mid-Atlantic Director Mike Mikus was quoted in this piece which was featured in the Times-Tribune.
    • The CEA Blog featured a blog piece about the state of regulation for natural gas.
    • CEA Executive Vice-President Andrew Browning authored this Op-Ed which was featured in the Daily Caller.
  • CEA Welcomes New Members
    • In April, CEA welcomed two new members, Great Plains- The Camelina Company and The Mississippi Energy Institute. View the announcements here:  Great Plains and MEI.

That is just a small sampling of CEA’s public presence in the media over the past 30 days.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Craig Koshkin at CKoshkin@consumerenergyalliance.org.

Upcoming Events

Houston: Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition
May 18, 2012
Houston Community College: Northeast Campus

The Houston: Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition provides Houston-area middle and high school students with an opportunity to explore Houston and its energy industry.  The project is designed to focus on workforce development and to encourage youth to pursue careers in the energy and engineering fields.  Student participants will spend the spring 2012 semester working in four-person teams to learn about energy and petroleum-based industries.

Over the course of the program, youth participants will engage in energy related enrichment activities and meet with energy and petroleum based industry representatives.  Students will be asked to: 1) create a scale model of Houston for the year 2050 demonstrating energy development, usage and delivery; 2) develop a marketing campaign explaining how the energy industry will play a vital role to Houston in the future; and 3) design a public service announcement that sells their energy efficient plan to the greater Houston community.  At the culminating event, volunteers from the local energy industry will judge student entries in all three areas.

The culminating event for the Houston: Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition will be held in May 2012 at a local college/university.  More details to follow.

This project is implemented by CASE, the Cooperative for After-School Enrichment, a division of Harris County Department of Education.  The CASE mission is to strengthen, support and sustain after school for all children. The Houston:  Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition is sponsored by Consumer Energy Alliance.  For more information on team registration or volunteering, please contact the CASE office at 713-696-1331 or e-mail Trina Finley at tfinley@hcde-texas.org.

Winning students will be recognized at the Houston:  Energy City of the Future 2050 Competition Awards Ceremony, will receive awards at Energy Day and will be invited to display their projects at Energy Day on October 20, 2012.

The Children’s Museum of Houston Young Inventors’ Showcase
May 19, 2012
Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, Texas

The Young Inventors’ Showcase of Houston encourages the budding inventor in every child by providing a platform for children to share and celebrate their invention ideas.  Throughout the year, children are invited to participate by developing a completely original invention or making improvements to an existing invention.

During the city-wide 24th Annual Young Inventors’ Showcase on May 19, 2012, the very best of these inventions will be showcased and judged for their ingenuity and merit. This Showcase takes place at the Children’s Museum of Houston highlighting the efforts of Houston-area children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Winners are awarded by grade level and the grand prize winner receives the services of a patent attorney to research and request a patent for the invention.

For more information on entering or questions, please visit http://www.cmhouston.org/inventors/enter/.


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