Facebook Instagram Linkedin RSS Twitter Youtube

Saving on Gas

Looking for more ways to save gas and cut costs? To reduce your gasoline needs and conserve energy resources, here are a few handy tidbits for living from Energy Tomorrow, a website of the American Petroleum Institute.

  • Tire inflation – properly inflated tires will save up to a mile per gallon.
  • Air conditioner – keeping the A/C off will save up to 2 miles per gallon.
  • Speedy starts – gradually increasing speed takes half the amount of gas.
  • Slow down – driving faster requires more gasoline.
  • Steady pace – driving erratically can cost you up to 2 miles per gallon.

Find out more tips for living…

Spring Clean Your Energy Use!

Each year, people across America take part in the annual tradition of spring cleaning their homes, garages, work places and lifestyles, but consumers should give their energy use a good once over too!

Heating and cooling costs are a significant part of household budgets throughout America – on average 43 percent of utility bills! There are many free and low-cost strategies consumers can put into action to lower these costs. Spring cleaning energy use is beneficial because not only does it save consumers a few bucks, but it also focuses consumers on being good stewards of energy resources.

This spring, there are five top steps to take in streamlining your energy use:  1) Look for assistance from your local utility or state; 2) Conduct an energy audit; 3) Have your cooling system serviced; 4) Find and seal your air leaks; and 5) Install a programmable thermostat, according to EnergySavers.gov, a U.S. Department of Energy website devoted to providing tips to the American public on energy consumption.

The five spring to-dos are part of EnergySavers.gov’s “Stay Cool, Save Money” campaign, which focuses on providing consumers with ways to save money during the spring and summer.  Find out more ways to prepare for summer’s energy costs…

New options for energy efficient homeowners

The recently-enacted stimulus bill provides significant changes to energy efficient tax credits available to consumers for home improvements, including roofing, insulation, windows and doors, central air conditioning, water heaters, residential solar and wind energy systems, fuel cells, and much more.

The bill highlights provides an extension of tax credits available for 2009 until 2010, a raise in the tax credit from 10 percent to 30 percent of the cost and an increase in the maximum tax credit available. The maximum tax credit for the two-year period (2009-2010) was increased to $1500, significantly higher than the previous max of $500. The cap does not apply to several improvements, including: solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and solar panels.

Additional consumer information is available online from Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, which promotes saving money and protecting the environment by using energy efficient products and practices.  Find out more…

CEA Newsletter May 2010

The tragic loss of human lives in the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the ensuing oil spill and environmental impacts currently being battled, have brought the subject of American offshore energy development and safety into the minds of many across the nation.

Consumer Energy Alliance offers our deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the oil rig explosion. Our thoughts remain with you as you struggle with the aftermath of this enormous tragedy.

We also salute the countless dedicated members of the oil and gas industry, U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies who have responded so swiftly to this accident and remain dedicated to resolving the immediate crisis of oil leaking into the Gulf as well as the thorough clean-up of the environmental damage in surrounding waters.

In the wake of this serious event, the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry itself has responded quickly and comprehensively, reacting with all resources available to avert environmental damage, stem the flow of leaking oil and ensure that safety remains a top priority in all exploratory and drilling operations. Even as events unfold, the Industry is reflecting on constant improvement in safety and what more can be done to prevent future disasters.  Yet, clearly this disaster is not over and much more work must be done to ensure that any damage is contained.

And, even as this terrible accident is being dealt with, we as Americans are reminded of the importance of ensuring the safe development of secure domestic energy resources. The Oil & Gas Industry’s record of safety and conscientious attention to the wellbeing of its employees and the American public should not be overlooked. Though precautions have been taken in the past, it is time for industry to raise its standards even further and call for a zero tolerance policy that ensures that accidents never happen again.

The answer to any accident is not to withdraw as some are now advocating, but to get more involved, pay closer attention and take additional measures to increase safety, increase response tactics and teams, and increase development of essential American resources in our nation’s coastal waters, including both traditional sources, such as oil and gas, as well as alternatives, like wind and solar.  Literally hundreds of thousands of jobs, as well as the economic livelihood of this nation are directly tied to offshore oil and gas development.   We need more oil & gas development, not less… but we MUST access these resources safely and effectively.  Offshore development is a vital part of our energy future.

This month, the federal government is accepting comments from the public about which areas to include in U.S. offshore energy development in the nation’s outer continental shelf (OCS) from 2012-2017. It is vital that Americans show their support for opening up the OCS to both traditional and alternative energy project development, which will stimulate the economy, create more jobs and aid in stabilizing energy prices! Find out more here.

In addition, make your voice heard on ensuring that federal refuge lands remain open to hunting, fishing and utilization, such as energy exploration and development. Find out more here.

There is much to do this month – I urge you to take action and participate in our Calls to Action on these very important issues, even as you grieve for those who died in the accident and support those fighting environmental effects on the front lines.

David Holt
President

 

CEA recently launched an online store complete with CEA and domestic energy development-themed merchandise. We’ve included many unique items that will appeal to every taste and budget, such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, yard signs, buttons, mugs and even a doggie-sized T-shirt for your four-footed friend. Help CEA spread the word regarding the necessity of a balanced energy policy for America! Visit the CEA Store today.

 

CEA is proud to announce the addition of new affiliate members who have joined our alliance: Bayer Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company. For a complete list of CEA’s valued affiliates, click here.

Safety & Security – Both are essential
Check out CEA’s recent blog entry about the recent tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Join the conversation at CEA’s website. Read blog…

Gas Shales Summit in Houston, TX
The 9th Annual Gas Shales Summit will be held June 2-3, 2010, at the Marriott Houston West Loop by the Galleria in Houston, Texas. Use promo code 10581CEA to save 15% on registration. For detailed information and to register, visit: www.insightinfo.com/gasshales

 

The Scoop on Appliance Rebates
Did you know that many states are running programs that give Americans rebates on purchasing new energy efficient appliances for their homes? The deal is – only purchases that replace an existing appliance are eligible for a rebate, which range in benefit from $50 to $500. So get rid of that old energy-wasting fridge and upgrade to a new one that saves both energy and money!

Each state is running its own appliance rebate program and publishing its own rebate forms. Click here to find appliance rebates in your state. The rebate programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is providing funding to all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia to develop and implement the programs.

What to do with that old appliance? Recycle it, of course! Recycling saves natural resources, conserves energy and is beneficial all the way around. Find out about appliance recycling programs in your state here.

View the State Appliance Rebate Database.
View information about recycling your old appliances.
Source: Energy Savers, U.S. Department of Energy

EPA, DOE Announce Changes to Bolster ENERGY STAR Program
EPA and DOE recently jointly announced changes to the ENERGY STAR product certification process to ensure that only products meeting the ENERGY STAR requirements can receive an ENERGY STAR label.  These changes accelerate steps DOE and EPA have initiated over the past several months to bolster the verification, testing and enforcement aspects of the ENERGY STAR program. Read article…

EPA Announces New Guidelines for Energy Star Homes
EPA recently issued new, more rigorous guidelines for new homes looking to earn the ENERGY STAR. Compared to the prior ENERGY STAR guidelines, the new requirements increase the energy efficiency of qualified homes by more than 10%, making them more than 20% more efficient than homes built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). These guidelines will begin to go into effect in January, 2011, although some builders may choose to adopt the new requirements earlier. Read article…

CEA Kicks-Off 2010 Offshore Technology Conference
On May 3, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) helped kick-off the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park by hosting panels focused on Government and Private Sector Roles in Supporting Energy and Creating Jobs. The panels featured notable participants, including the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia the Honorable Bob McDonnell; Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Tom Irwin; Shell Upstream Americas Exploration and Commercial Executive Vice President Dave Lawrence; American Petroleum Institute (API) President Jack N. Gerard; National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi; The Dow Chemical Company Energy Business U.S. Commercial Director Ken Bromfield; and many others.

As expected, the panelists talked at length about the tragic events onboard the Deepwater Horizon last month, and the enormous commitment of material and technological resources currently being deployed to contain, capture and stop the flow of oil into the Gulf. The panel’s participants agreed that investigators should leave no stone unturned in finding out what happened, how it happened, and then fixing it – allowing offshore resources to be developed in the future in a way that’s better, safer, and more efficient.

“We put this panel together to talk about job creation and opportunity. That hasn’t changed,” said CEA President David Holt, co-organizer of the event who also served as a member of the panel. “The debate around it has changed. We’re already seeing efforts to take political advantage of this situation by arguing that, in light of the oil spill, offshore energy should not be developed. But, our nation’s offshore energy resources are vital to the country’s economy and their development employs hundreds of thousands of Americans. We must continue to safely and responsibly develop American offshore resources. The United States must have an ‘all of the above’ approach to meeting our energy needs.”

Governor McDonnell emphasized the importance of continued offshore exploration, including expanded production in new areas, such as offshore Virginia, which would provide extensive job creation, royalties and revenues for many states. Irwin added that expanded development of Outer Continental Shelf resources in Alaska would have a “hugely positive” impact for the state as well as the country as a whole.

“Energy is the lifeblood of our economy,” API’s Gerard noted, emphasizing the industry’s importance as a strong job-creating tool, while also noting that the oil and gas industry is the primary leader in the development of new green energy technologies and leads in job creation in that field.

Other participants on the panel included the Minister of Industry and Energy of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the Honorable Bob McLeod; University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Webber; Greater Houston Partnership Energy Collaborative Vice Chairman Lane Sloan. The Panel was moderated by Paul Bledsoe of the National Commission on Energy Policy. Devon Energy Corporation’s Sandeep Khurana also served as a co-organizer of the event.

The Hispanic Institute
The Hispanic Institute (THI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is an educational forum for an informed and empowered Hispanic America, including making informed decisions related to American energy development.

“Our work is focused on the following areas: the study of Hispanic and immigrant economic contributions; media monitoring; consumer fraud protection; citizenship education; technology, telecommunications and the digital divide; and financial services,” says Gus West, THI Board Chair.

“We have produced studies on such topics as Hispanics and Retirement, Calling Card Fraud, Hispanic Broadband Access, Interchange Fees, and Immigration and Labor. In addition, we have developed media education campaigns on crucial issues such as Immigration Reform, Labor and Business, Net Neutrality, The Digital Divide, and Interchange Fees.”

Regarding energy, THI has two goals: 1. Job creation, and 2. Stabilizing energy costs, according to West.

“At a time when we are facing perhaps the greatest economic crisis in our nation’s history, we feel that energy can provide the United States with new jobs.  We estimate that there are currently almost 6 million direct/indirect jobs in the Oil and Gas industry,” explains West. “We at The Hispanic Institute want to urge policy makers to help create jobs through energy policies that insure the economic security of our citizens.”

In addition, West points out that volatile energy prices effect most those least able to afford the ups and downs related to energy costs for basic needs, including heating, electricity and transportation.

“The social and economic impact of the high cost of energy creates an extreme hardship on our seniors, our lower and middle class citizens and those living in areas of high energy needs.  It is more important than ever that the federal government allow for development of our energy resources because the ramifications for the aforementioned groups are enormous.”

THI is an affiliate of Consumer Energy Alliance because of, what West calls, “CEA’s logical approach to energy policy.”

“We began working closely with the Consumer Energy Alliance in support of the Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. THI secured letters of support from Hispanic federal, state and local elected officials as well as national NGO’s. CEA was out in front of this issue, and it speaks volumes that the current administration embraced CEA’s position. It demonstrates CEA’s logical approach to energy policy. We only hope that the energy industry realizes the significance of the work that CEA does and redoubles their support of this very important organization.”

For more information on The Hispanic Institute, visit http://thehispanicinstitute.net.

David Holt: Safety and Security: Both are Essential

The following op-ed from David Holt, President of Consumer Energy Alliance, appeared on the National Journal website here, in response to the discussion question “Will oil spill impede offshore plans?”

May 4, 2010   It is not easy to talk about the importance of a strong domestic oil industry in the wake of the tragic incident in the Gulf of Mexico. We do not yet have all the information about what caused the explosion, but we do know that it could have and should have been prevented.

In the months ahead, our first order of business must be to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. We must find out exactly what happened and redouble efforts to fix it and ensure that this does not happen again.

Last month’s rig explosion occurred just as President Obama had announced plans to open more of the country to offshore drilling – a critical move designed to reduce our nation’s over-reliance on foreign oil. Now we must make the case for a strong domestic energy industry to a much more skeptical public. It is important that we address this challenge head on. In the same way that accidents like the one that occurred last month in the Gulf are not acceptable, our country’s current energy situation – in which we import well over half the oil we consume — is simply untenable.

Consumer Energy Alliance, a broad alliance of both traditional and renewable sources of power, understands this better than most. We support a diverse energy sector in which our power is derived from oil and gas, solar and wind. We applauded last week when the Obama Administration approved the long-contested Cape Wind project, paving the way for the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm. We encourage consumers to do their part to conserve power, buy energy efficient appliances and re-insulate their homes. And yet we also know the numbers well enough to understand that even under the best case scenario, in which wind and solar and all the other renewable power sources meet their most optimistic growth projections, fossil fuels will be essential to everyday life for decades to come. Oil and gas are the backbone of our economy. They are the fuels that make every day commuting and long distance travel, business and commerce, manufacturing and education possible. Without oil and gas, the entire U.S. economy would come to a grinding halt.

For too long the United States has passively accepted that truth, but not really confronted it. We have simply looked the other way as we imported more and more of our oil. Today, we import much of our oil from unstable governments in far away places. This entails huge financial costs and a not insignificant global environmental footprint in transporting the oil. It has also left us at the whim of governments that do not always have the United States’ best interest in mind. The history of our dependence on foreign oil is a history of unpredictable supply and volatile prices, which has from time to time crippled fuel-intensive industries and average consumers alike. It is a history of political conflict. Our thirst for foreign oil has compromised both our economic and our national security. It cannot continue.

The difficult takeaway from last month’s accident in the Gulf, then, is that both oil rig safety and the national security that comes from a strong domestic oil sector are non-negotiable. We must commit to the highest standards of safety in oil production, complete with enforcement and accountability. And, in the interest of our economic and national security, we must commit to producing more of our vast reserves of domestic oil. We cannot just export another vital American industry because it faces challenge. And we cannot afford to let gasoline prices top $4.50 a gallon because foreign suppliers are calling the shots. In the coming weeks, as the debate over our domestic oil production reaches a fever pitch, it will be easy to take an anti-oil position and call for more limited production in the U.S. But we must commit to the harder work of building a reliable – and above all, safe – domestic industry.

To be clear, we cannot accept even the rare accident as an inevitable byproduct of oil production. This debate must not be cast in terms of safety versus steady supply. We must have both, and with hard work, we can.

Safety & Security: Both are essential

It is not easy to talk about the importance of a strong domestic oil industry in the wake of the tragic incident in the Gulf of Mexico. We do not yet have all the information about what caused the explosion, but we do know that it could have and should have been prevented.

In the months ahead, our first order of business must be to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. We must find out exactly what happened and redouble efforts to fix it and ensure that this does not happen again.

Last month’s rig explosion occurred just as President Obama had announced plans to open more of the country to offshore drilling – a critical move designed to reduce our nation’s over-reliance on foreign oil. Now we must make the case for a strong domestic energy industry to a much more skeptical public. It is important that we address this challenge head on. In the same way that accidents like the one that occurred last month in the Gulf are not acceptable, our country’s current energy situation – in which we import well over half the oil we consume — is simply untenable.

Consumer Energy Alliance, a broad alliance of both traditional and renewable sources of power, understands this better than most. We support a diverse energy sector in which our power is derived from oil and gas, solar and wind. We applauded last week when the Obama Administration approved the long-contested Cape Wind project, paving the way for the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm. We encourage consumers to do their part to conserve power, buy energy efficient appliances and re-insulate their homes. And yet we also know the numbers well enough to understand that even under the best case scenario, in which wind and solar and all the other renewable power sources meet their most optimistic growth projections, fossil fuels will be essential to everyday life for decades to come. Oil and gas are the backbone of our economy. They are the fuels that make every day commuting and long distance travel, business and commerce, manufacturing and education possible. Without oil and gas, the entire U.S. economy would come to a grinding halt.

For too long the United States has passively accepted that truth, but not really confronted it. We have simply looked the other way as we imported more and more of our oil. Today, we import much of our oil from unstable governments in far away places. This entails huge financial costs and a not insignificant global environmental footprint in transporting the oil. It has also left us at the whim of governments that do not always have the United States’ best interest in mind. The history of our dependence on foreign oil is a history of unpredictable supply and volatile prices, which has from time to time crippled fuel-intensive industries and average consumers alike. It is a history of political conflict. Our thirst for foreign oil has compromised both our economic and our national security. It cannot continue.

The difficult takeaway from last month’s accident in the Gulf, then, is that both oil rig safety and the national security that comes from a strong domestic oil sector are non-negotiable. We must commit to the highest standards of safety in oil production, complete with enforcement and accountability. And, in the interest of our economic and national security, we must commit to producing more of our vast reserves of domestic oil. We cannot just export another vital American industry because it faces challenge. And we cannot afford to let gasoline prices top $4.50 a gallon because foreign suppliers are calling the shots. In the coming weeks, as the debate over our domestic oil production reaches a fever pitch, it will be easy to take an anti-oil position and call for more limited production in the U.S. But we must commit to the harder work of building a reliable – and above all, safe – domestic industry.

To be clear, we cannot accept even the rare accident as an inevitable byproduct of oil production. This debate must not be cast in terms of safety versus steady supply. We must have both, and with hard work, we can.

Consumer Energy Alliance Kicks-Off 2010 Offshore Technology Conference

Consumer Energy Alliance Kicks-Off 2010 Offshore Technology Conference
Focus on Government and Private Sector Roles in Supporting Energy & Creating Jobs

HOUSTON — On May 3, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) helped kick-off the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park by hosting panels focused on Government and Private Sector Roles in Supporting Energy and Creating Jobs. The panels featured notable participants, including the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia the Honorable Bob McDonnell; Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Tom Irwin; Shell Upstream Americas Exploration and Commercial Executive Vice President Dave Lawrence; American Petroleum Institute (API) President Jack N. Gerard; National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi; The Dow Chemical Company Energy Business U.S. Commercial Director Ken Bromfield; and many others.

As expected, the panelists talked at length about the tragic events onboard the Deepwater Horizon last month, and the enormous commitment of material and technological resources currently being deployed to contain, capture and stop the flow of oil into the Gulf. The panel’s participants agreed that investigators should leave no stone unturned in finding out what happened, how it happened, and then fixing it – allowing offshore resources to be developed in the future in a way that’s better, safer, and more efficient.

“We put this panel together to talk about job creation and opportunity. That hasn’t changed,” said CEA President David Holt, co-organizer of the event who also served as a member of the panel. “The debate around it has changed. We’re already seeing efforts to take political advantage of this situation by arguing that, in light of the oil spill, offshore energy should not be developed. But, our nation’s offshore energy resources are vital to the country’s economy and their development employs hundreds of thousands of Americans. We must continue to safely and responsibly develop American offshore resources. The United States must have an ‘all of the above’ approach to meeting our energy needs.”

Governor McDonnell emphasized the importance of continued offshore exploration, including expanded production in new areas, such as offshore Virginia, which would provide extensive job creation, royalties and revenues for many states. Irwin added that expanded development of Outer Continental Shelf resources in Alaska would have a “hugely positive” impact for the state as well as the country as a whole.

“Energy is the lifeblood of our economy,” API’s Gerard noted, emphasizing the industry’s importance as a strong job-creating tool, while also noting that the oil and gas industry is the primary leader in the development of new green energy technologies and leads in job creation in that field.

Other participants on the panel included the Minister of Industry and Energy of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the Honorable Bob McLeod; University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Webber; Greater Houston Partnership Energy Collaborative Vice Chairman Lane Sloan. The Panel was moderated by Paul Bledsoe of the National Commission on Energy Policy. Devon Energy Corporation’s Sandeep Khurana also served as a co-organizer of the event.

Southeast Energy Alliance Calls For Safe Offshore Production

Southeastern Consumer Energy Group Urges Interior Dept. to Make Commonsense Investments into American Energy Highlights Need to Ensure Offshore Production is Done Safely, Responsibly

Fredericksburg, Va. – May 4, 2010 The non-partisan Southeast Energy Alliance (SEA) sent a letter yesterday to Renee Orr – chief of the Minerals Management Service’s (MMS) leasing division at the U.S. Interior Department – expressing support for the completion of a 5-year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leasing plan, as well as the inclusion of Lease Sale 220, a tract along Virginia’s coast.

In the letter, SEA executive director Michael Whatley writes, “Today, more than ever, the families, farms, factories and businesses of the Southeast are vulnerable to the volatility of energy prices and our nation’s increasing reliance on imported oil. The federal government must do more to formulate a comprehensive national energy policy that will effectively address the concerns that all Americans share regarding our energy security and expanded access to the vital energy reserves contained in the OCS must be a fundamental part of America’s energy future.”

SEA also acknowledges the severity of the incident in the Gulf of Mexico and its implications on national energy policy moving forward, noting, “We believe that it is imperative for industry and MMS to find out what caused the explosion and take every possible step to ensure that something similar does not happen again. We also believe that the threat of such an event must be carefully weighed against the need to ensure domestic energy security, maintain U.S. competitiveness and jobs and expand our domestic resources.”

The full text of the letter is copied below.

—

May 3, 2010

Renee Orr, Five Year Program Manager
Department of the Interior
Attention: Leasing Division (LD)
381 Elden Street, MS-4010
Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817

RE:  Remand of the 2007-2012 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program

Dear Ms Orr:
The Southeast Energy Alliance strongly supports increased access to oil and natural gas resources and the Minerals Management Service’s intention to finalize a Proposed Revised Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Leasing Program from 2007-2012 and the decision to include Lease Sale 220 scheduled for 2011 in that Program.

Today, more than ever, the families, farms, factories and businesses of the Southeast are vulnerable to the volatility of energy prices and our nation’s increasing reliance on imported oil. The federal government must do more to formulate a comprehensive national energy policy that will effectively address the concerns that all Americans share regarding our energy security and expanded access to the vital energy reserves contained in the OCS must be a fundamental part of America’s energy future.

As we have said repeatedly in comments to MMS regarding leasing in the Mid-Atlantic Region, the Southeast Energy Alliance also believes that leasing should not take place without considering the associated environmental and public risks and that the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) should take all necessary steps to ensure that environmental safeguards are met and properly balanced.  In preparing the necessary Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lease Sale 220, the MMS should specifically address all areas of concern regarding oil and natural gas development, such as impacts on wildlife and potential conflicts from seismic surveys and fishing.

While SEA applauds the decision of MMS to move forward with leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Mid-Atlantic regions, we are concerned about the decision to cancel scheduled lease sales in the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea and North Aleutian Basin in Alaska. The inclusion of these areas for leasing in the 2007-2012 Five Year Plan was reached following years worth of studies and public input. MMS has spent more than $300 million dollars on studies in Alaska and in the past decade MMS has funded well over 250 studies in Alaska with the majority of these focused on addressing information needs in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Delaying sales in these areas for the purpose of additional studies is unnecessary. Further, the decision to prohibit leasing in the North Aleutian Basin until 2017 is not warranted based on the record compiled by MMS when the original 2007-2012 Five Year Program was developed.

Lastly, Southeast Energy Alliance recognizes the costs – both human and environmental – of incidents such as the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April. We believe that it is imperative for industry and MMS to find out what caused the explosion and take every possible step to ensure that something similar does not happen again. We also believe that the threat of such an event must be carefully weighed against the need to ensure domestic energy security, maintain U.S. competitiveness and jobs and expand our domestic resources.  Offshore development serves our nation’s best interests by improving energy security, diversifying supply, increasing economic development, and generating important local, state and federal revenue.

Because all American families, farms, factories and businesses are affected by skyrocketing energy prices, the Southeast Energy Alliance believes that moving forward with the Revised 2007-2012 Oil and Gas Leasing Plan – including Lease Sale 220 in Virginia – will play a critical role in creating a robust national energy policy and securing our energy future.

Sincerely,
Michael Whatley
Executive Director
Southeast Energy Alliance

The Southeast Energy Alliance is a non-partisan organization of businesses, trade associations and non-profit organizations –  including Farm Bureaus, Electric Cooperative Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Manufacturing Associations – across the Southeastern United States that understand the importance of the development of sound energy policies to ensure the economic viability of their organization. Utilizing grassroots, grass-tops, public advocacy and education at both the state and federal levels, SEA is dedicated to projects and activities that will ensure access to affordable and reliable energy for families, farms and businesses across the Southeast. SEA is the Southeastern regional affiliate of the Consumer Energy Alliance.

Consumer Energy Alliance Applauds DOI Approval of Cape Wind Project

CEA President: Offshore Alternative Energy Projects Contribute to Balanced Energy Policy for America

HOUSTON — April 28, 2010   Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) President David Holt issued the following statement regarding the decision on the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound by the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

“The approval of the Cape Wind project is a major step forward in achieving a balanced energy policy for America which thoughtfully and responsibly utilizes all domestic energy resources. I commend Secretary Salazar on his achievement in approving the project, which sets a significant precedent as the first offshore wind farm in the nation.

“In addition to creating hundreds of new jobs during its construction and future operations, once constructed, the Cape Wind project will meet approximately 75 percent of the electricity demand for Cape Cod and surrounding islands. The approval of this renewable energy project is an achievement to be proud of and will provide electric consumers in the region with stable energy prices for the next 20 years.

“Developing offshore wind farms, such as Cape Wind, will boost the national economy, create valuable new jobs, stabilize energy prices and reduce our reliance on foreign energy. The Cape Wind project will also allow southeast New England become a global leader in the growing field of offshore renewable energy – an economic sector that will employ tens of thousands of people in the years to come.

“Through strong support for domestic energy projects, such as Cape Wind, Consumer Energy Alliance is committed to supporting a balanced energy policy for America that encompasses all energy resources, including both alternative sources, such as wind, water and solar, as well as traditional, such as oil and natural gas.”

A good year for geothermal

Last week, the state of Oregon dedicated its first geothermal power plant, which will utilize the heat in the ground to generate electricity. For the city of Klamath Falls, Oregon, the new plant was a significant step forward in efforts to tap nearby natural resources for power. From a nationwide perspective, it was the latest in a series of developments underscoring how geothermal is starting to realize its potential.

In fact, the Geothermal Energy Association informed us last week that geothermal had its best year ever last year. A new report by the association says the number of geothermal projects under development in the country grew 26% in 2009. While California, which has long tapped the heat from geysers in the northern part of the state, remains by far the nation’s geothermal leader, geothermal projects are popping up in more and more states, from Alaska to Louisiana. In total, although geothermal still accounts for a small portion of all of the country’s renewable power, installed geothermal capacity increased more than five-fold between 2005 and 2009. The United States leads the world in installed geothermal capacity, and in 2007, California got a not insignificant 4.5% of its total electric generation from geothermal power.

Like solar and wind, geothermal energy is a very logical and practical use of the power that surrounds us: Anyone who has seen the spectacle of a geyser has seen the vast reserves of energy it holds.

And just like so many promising power sources, geothermal development has often been limited by cost, particularly the steep upfront costs of constructing a geothermal field. Upfront costs are steep in most power plants, but when the power source is new or unproven these costs can kill a project before it gets off the ground.

What’s interesting about the recent surge in geothermal projects is that so many of the new ones were financed with funding made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provided a valuable jumpstart.

These projects still need to demonstrate they can generate power in a cost-effective manner. And going forward, the industry will be challenged to sustain the pace of growth it has recently enjoyed, without some significant technological advances that make it easier to tap the earth’s heat.

But when we talk about domestic energy production, we need to recognize all our diverse sources of power, even the small ones. Geothermal today is already a success story, providing electricity to millions of households.

1...321322323...338Page 322 of 338

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

© Consumer Energy Alliance