New Report Links Economic Growth with Increased Energy Production
Issuing Drilling Permits in the Gulf of Mexico Would Create More than 200,000 New Jobs, Report Finds

HOUSTON – Increasing energy production in the Gulf of Mexico would be the “engine” that drives strong job growth and reduces America’s dependence on imported oil, according to a new study by IHS-CERA and IHS Global Insight.

The report, entitled “Restarting ‘the Engine’ – Securing American Jobs, Investment, and Energy Security,” finds that an increase in the pace of permit approvals for oil and gas exploration in the Gulf would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs throughout virtually every state in the country, increase tax receipts and royalty revenues for governments, and dramatically improve America’s energy security.

More specifically, the report finds that issuing the necessary permits to resume full Gulf of Mexico oil and gas exploration would:

• Create 230,000 jobs across America
• Boost U.S. gross domestic product by $44 billion
• Generate nearly $12 billion in revenue to state and federal treasuries
• Increase domestic production by more than 400,000 barrels of oil per day
• Reduce spending on imported oil by $15 billion

The study was commissioned by the Gulf Economic Survival Team (GEST), which was founded in June of 2010 with the purpose of restoring energy production in the Gulf of Mexico and helping area residents get back to work, chiefly by facilitating communication between operators, state government, and the federal government to clarify new exploration and drilling requirements.

In response to the release of the report, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) president David Holt issued the following statement:

“This study is another wake-up call to those who believe that we can grow the economy while continuing to restrict or delay American energy development. Americans in states all across the country are desperately looking for work, and it’s clear that the Administration’s refusal to issue permits for responsible oil and gas exploration in the Gulf is contributing to that economic pain. At a time of high unemployment and unsustainable debt, restarting the economic engine of energy production in the Gulf of Mexico would help drive us toward a stronger and more sustainable economic future.  This report makes clear that CEA members across the nation – from manufacturing to agriculture to transportation and small business – are being negatively impacted by the prolonged delays in offshore development.

“Immediately moving ahead with additional oil and gas production is a vital component of a broader, balanced energy policy that improves energy security and reduces costs for consumers through increased access to America’s vast energy supplies – from traditional sources to renewables and energy efficiency technologies.”

The executive summary and key findings of the study can be accessed by visiting GEST’s website, www.GulfEconomicSurvival.org.

CA Farmers Warn Utility Regulators about Rising Energy Costs
California Farm Bureau, CEA call for additional domestic production through a balanced energy policy

LOS ANGELES, CA – The president of the California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF) told the nation’s public utility commissioners today in Los Angeles that the United States needs to have greater control over its energy destiny, while seeking a proper balance between renewable and traditional sources of energy.

Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger spoke at a luncheon hosted by Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) in conjunction with the summer meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

At the conclusion of the luncheon, Wenger released the following statement:

“As the major supplier of the country’s fruit, vegetable and nut crops, California farms and ranches are vitally dependent upon reliable, predictable energy supplies and prices.  We can’t be subject to the whims of foreign energy suppliers. Energy costs represent a significant share of farm costs and are often the most difficult segment of those costs to manage.  We seek a forward-thinking and balanced energy policy—one that relies on both renewable and traditional sources.

“We must pursue safe development of available domestic sources, including oil supplies—offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and including hydroelectricity. Hydroelectric energy is an important, renewable resource, with multipurpose benefits that include flood control, water supply and recreation. We must broaden our thinking in order to assure a safe and reliable domestic energy supply,” he added.

Wenger said California farmers continually look for ways to improve energy use efficiency and have themselves become energy producers through the on-farm development of solar, wind and methane digesters.  He called for science-based national energy policy that relies on all forms of energy.

CEA president David Holt also released the following statement:

“California’s farmers and ranchers are a vital part of the state’s economy. Our goal was to make sure that regulatory commissioners are aware of the impact that government mandates have on ratepayer bills, including those in the agriculture community. Hopefully, today’s event will spur action from regulators and our elected representatives toward creating a more balanced, sensible energy policy that protects consumers from high prices while expanding the production of domestic energy supplies.”

CEA Statement on Oil Imports Surpassing $200 Billion for 2011

HOUSTON – Today the total cost of oil being imported into the United States crossed $200 billion for 2011, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In response to this unfortunate milestone, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) executive vice president Michael Whatley released the following statement:

“The fact that the United States has already spent $200 billion on oil imports in 2011 is beyond unfortunate, not only because of its impact on the American economy but also because it was an avoidable catastrophe. Granting the permits to explore and produce in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in Alaska would allow us to fill the TransAlaska Pipeline and bring more than 1.3 million barrels of American-produced oil to U.S. markets. Issuing the President Permit necessary to build the Keystone XL pipeline would deliver 700,000 barrels of oil every day to U.S. refineries from Oklahoma, Kansas, the Dakotas, Montana, and the Canadian province of Alberta. Finally, returning Gulf of Mexico offshore production to its pre-Macondo levels would add 130,000 barrels of domestically produced oil per day. All of these combined – which could be ushered in with a few pen strokes from the White House – would increase domestic supplies by 2.2 million barrels of oil per day, all while creating more than 114,000 much-needed American jobs.

“These measures would be a strong and immediate component to a broader, balanced energy policy that maximizes the availability of domestic supplies, expands the use of nuclear and other alternative energy sources by diversifying our energy mix, lowers energy costs for consumers (particularly gasoline and diesel prices), reduces the national debt, and helps put Americans back to work.”

In April, CEA launched MoreEnergyNow.org, an online petition urging President Obama and the federal government to expand access to America’s energy resources and support increased production. The page includes a digital “imported oil counter” that shows up-to-the-minute data on how many barrels of oil the United States has imported in 2011 and the total direct cost of these imports to the American economy.

Thousands Call for More Offshore Drilling in Alaska
CEA Delivers More Than 128,000 Public Comments Supporting Responsible Energy Production in Chukchi Sea

WASHINGTON, DC – The president of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) announced today that well over 100,000 public comments from Alaska and across America have been delivered to the federal government voicing support for responsible oil and gas development in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea.

CEA delivered more than 128,000 comments that it collected during a 45-day public comment period to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE), the federal agency that oversees offshore oil and gas leasing. BOEMRE is in the process of finalizing its environmental impact study (EIS) for leasing in the Chukchi Sea, specifically Lease Sale 193.

After delivering the comments, CEA Alaska chapter chairman Jeff Jones said, “Issuing the necessary permits for offshore oil and gas production in Alaska would provide a much-needed boost to the American economy. Alaska’s offshore resources are estimated at about 27 billion barrels of oil, which during peak production could provide the United States with 1.3 million additional barrels per day, all while restoring capacity to the critical Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Developing these vast energy resources would also create more than 54,000 new jobs nationwide and generate nearly $200 billion for federal, state, and local governments.”

Jones said that the more than 128,000 comments that CEA delivered yesterday, as well as the thousands of additional comments supporting development, all send a clear message: Americans demand more jobs and more energy security. “Now is the time to move forward with responsible offshore energy production in Alaska, a process that begins with finalizing Lease Sale 193,” Jones said.

CEA President David Holt also issued the following statement:

“Moving forward with energy development in offshore Alaska will be a key component of a balanced and sensible energy policy. These 128,000 public comments make clear that Americans are not interested in keeping energy resources under lock and key, and the federal government should move swiftly toward creating an all of the above plan that utilizes all of America’s vast energy resources.”

The Chukchi Sea, off Alaska’s northwest coast, offers more oil and gas resources than any other undeveloped U.S. offshore energy basin. According to independent experts, Chukchi may be one of the largest untapped sources of oil and natural gas in the entire world.

In May, BOEMRE released its Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193. By law, the agency had to allow 45 days for public comments on the SEIS, a period that ended yesterday, July 11, 2011.