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DTE Seeks Residential Rate Increase. Here’s How Much You’d Pay

Father and Daughter Sitting in the Kitchen with Bills

CEA’s Marc Brown looks at why Michiganders should expect to pay more each month on their electric bill as a result of last year’s energy policies passed in Lansing.

“As is always the case, low- and fixed-income Michiganders will be hit hardest by the rate increases — approximately $10 a month on average,” he added. “There is a growing trend around the country for legislators and regulators to place blame on anyone but themselves for energy costs driven higher by their own costly policy decisions. Reducing emissions is a good thing —and it’s something that can be done while ensuring reliable and affordable energy service.”

Read more – The Detroit News

Group Praises ‘Right to Buy’ Legislation

Cars in Traffic

With large bipartisan support, the Kansas legislature passed House Bill 2783 to ensure consumers have the ability to purchase cars and trucks that meet their mobility needs.  CEA Midwest Executive Director talked about why this type of consumer choice is important.

“CEA has long been an advocate for consumer choice. Electric vehicles have an important and growing role in our vehicle mix going forward, but mandates that serve only to increase prices and harm drivers are not the answer.  It is our hope that this action sends a strong message to Washington – the U.S. EPA should not be coercing consumers to choose vehicles that are unaffordable and may create more issues for our electric grid.”

 

“We encourage Governor Kelly to sign this bipartisan legislation as soon as it reaches her desk.”

Read more – Used Car News

CEA Applauds Kansas Senate Passage of Bill Protecting Consumers’ Right to Buy Vehicles of Their Choice

Cars on a dealer lot

TOPEKA – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Kansas Senate passed House Bill 2783, which preserves Kansans’ right to buy the vehicle of their choosing.

“With today’s vote, Kansas continues to show there is strong, bipartisan support for consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura said. “We applaud these legislators for standing up for consumer choice, especially considering yesterday’s draconian mandates pushed out by the U.S. EPA designed to eliminate gas-powered cars.”

CEA has long been an advocate for consumer choice. It is our hope that this action sends a strong message to Washington – the U.S. EPA should not be coercing consumers to choose vehicles that are unaffordable to buy and unworkable for their mobility needs.”

“We encourage Governor Kelly to sign this bipartisan legislation as soon as it reaches her desk.”

CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:

  1. Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
  2. How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
  3. Where will the critical minerals necessary for EV’s come from other than China?

The full report is available here.

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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

CEA Applauds Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection for Preserving Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace

Pickup trucks in traffic

AUGUSTA – Following the Maine Board of Environmental Protection’s 4-2 vote rejecting the adoption of the California Advanced Clean Cars II mandate which would ban traditional gas-powered cars and limit consumer choice, Consumer Energy Alliance released the following statement:

“We applaud the Maine Board of Environmental Protection for listening to the families and businesses that spoke out against this unaffordable, unworkable mandate that would limit consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Michael Butler said. “Electric vehicles have an important and growing role in our vehicle mix going forward, but mandates that serve only to increase prices and harm drivers are not the answer.”

“Across the state, Democrats and Republicans came together to acknowledge the financial burden adopting this mandate would place on families and the harm it would have on Maine’s fragile electric grid. Unlike the rules unveiled yesterday in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. EPA, Maine got it right – putting politics aside, ensuring hardworking families will not be left behind to appease special interests.”

CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:

  1. Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
  2. How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
  3. Where will the critical minerals necessary for EV’s come from other than China?

The full report is available here.

###

About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

EPA’s Tailpipe Emission Standards Practically Bans Gas Powered Vehicles, Unnecessarily Harming Consumers

Cars on the production line

• New EPA tailpipe emission standards will force electric vehicles onto consumers
• Families, businesses will suffer from higher prices and inadequate EV infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its passenger vehicle standards for model years 2027-2032.

“It is disappointing that the Biden Administration continues to be actively working against its stated goal of, ‘equipping the American middle class to succeed,’” CEA President David Holt said. “While electric vehicles clearly have a role in our vehicle mix, the middle class cannot succeed with the EPA forcing an unworkable, expensive EV quota on working class families. State mandates have not led to widespread public adoption of EVs – sales are actually on the decline. The lack of electric grid and charging infrastructures, long recharge times, high EV costs and governmental failure to ensure U.S. critical mineral supplies are all challenges that won’t be solved anytime soon. These policies harm our middle class and place America’s energy security in the hands of totalitarian regimes that control the vast majority of critical minerals mining, processing, and refining, while leaving working families holding the bill.”

CEA’s 2023 Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace report details how electric vehicle mandates will force consumers into paying more in overall transportation costs and create potentially catastrophic pressure on the electric grid. It also examines key constraints that must be addressed by policymakers before widespread EV adoption can successfully occur, including infrastructure build-out, the ability of electric generation to meet increased demand and critical mineral scarcity.

Click here to read the report.

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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

Experts Closely Watching Oil Prices Rise

Offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico

While the Biden Administration continues to block onshore and offshore leasing for American energy development, oil prices continue to rise.  CEA’s David Holt looks at what rising oil prices mean for consumers across Texas.

“Frankly, when you see higher diesel prices, because everything arrives by truck now to the grocery store to the lumberyard, anything that you’re going to buy, we’re seeing higher prices for everything,” said David Holt with the Consumer Energy Alliance.

Read more – KXAN

High Energy Costs Are Stealth Price Increases that Hit Americans Twice

U.S. Capitol building at night in Washington, D.C.

Federal Policies, Actions that Limit Energy Access Have Contributed to Stubborn Inflation

WASHINGTON  – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address.

“High energy prices are the stealth cost that causes all other prices to go up, and no amount of deflection, blaming corporate greed, or wish-driven forecasting can change that. The cost of energy is factored into everything, including the goods and services we buy and especially food production. Energy is a kitchen table issue,” CEA President David Holt said. “When the federal government implements policies that knowingly increase energy prices, while spending the equivalent of Japan’s gross domestic product in a single year, literally no one is surprised that we have had the highest, most persistent inflation in several generations.”

“We all agree on the need to tackle climate challenges, so we can stop fighting about that. It is now time to focus on ways to make energy more affordable and reliable for all Americans, especially those who can least afford to pay more for gasoline or electricity,” Holt said. “We urge the Biden Administration to start making energy policy choices that improve the environment and allow access to all energy options. This should not be a partisan issue; all Americans agree on the need for affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy. Our national policies should reflect that.”

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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

Hidden Gas Tax Will Hit Low-Income, Rural Minnesotans Hardest

Money going into gas tank

ST. PAUL – Today, the Senate Transportation Committee will hear the Clean Transportation Standard Initiative (S.F. 2584). While CEA generally supports low carbon and clean transportation measures, S.F 2584, as currently drafted, would disproportionately impact Minnesota families, especially those in lower-income brackets and rural communities, and it would offer very little meaningful improvement for the climate or environment.

“Minnesota families are already struggling to make ends meet, and the current draft of the Clean Transportation Standard would place another significant strain on their financial security,” said Chris Ventura, Midwest Executive Director of Consumer Energy Alliance. “We are supposed to pass laws that make life better for Minnesota families. However, the Clean Transportation Standard does just the opposite.”

“The Clean Transportation Standard is a recipe for following states such as California and Washington into the ranks of the country’s highest fuel prices, significantly burdening families and small businesses, while failing to make meaningful environmental progress. Policies like S.F. 2584, which has been proposed today, have contributed to California having the highest fuel prices in the United States at $4.76 per gallon, according to a recent study by Stillwater Associates. This artificial increase in fuel costs not only puts a strain on the budgets of all drivers but hits lower-income families hardest, worsening economic disparities. In Washington state, similar policies have resulted in record-high fuel prices of $3.81 per gallon.

“California and Washington policies that have created the highest gas prices in the country should serve as a warning to Minnesota legislators supporting the Clean Transportation Standard – and their voters,” Ventura said.

“Low-income households spend a larger share of their income on gasoline – this legislation will burden those who can least afford it. Rural Minnesotans often travel longer distances for work, school, and basic services, so this legislation will further widen the economic divide between urban and rural areas. Minnesota businesses will face higher operating costs – this legislation will force them to pass those expenses onto consumers, leading to a general increase in the cost of everyday necessities like groceries, clothing and travel, further burdening Minnesota families.”

“Without doubt, the Clean Transportation Standard will lead to a higher cost of living, creating economic hardship for lower-income families, and widening the urban-rural divide. It is crucial to weigh these factors carefully and consider alternative approaches that achieve our shared environmental goals without burdening Minnesotans with hidden tax hikes. As the state working group identified, without doing anything, Minnesota is already on track to reduce transportation emissions 30% by 2050.”

Minnesota families are already speaking out.

“As a hockey dad, I have spent the better part of the past 20 years traveling around Minnesota for games and tournaments,” said Saint Paul resident Kevin Dolan. “Over the past few years, our economy has been on a rollercoaster, and Minnesota families have been paying the price – literally. Raising kids is already expensive enough, so to hear that there is an effort to enact a new law that will make us pay more than a thousand dollars more at the pump is incredibly frustrating. Minnesota families deserve better.”

 

About Consumer Energy Alliance

Consumer Energy Alliance is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, the environment, energy’s critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs. By advocating for energy justice and sensible energy solutions, we hope to ensure that people who need affordable energy the most can have access to it.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

CEA Applauds Kansas House Passage of Bill Protecting Consumers’ Right to Buy Vehicles of Their Choice

Driving a classic car

TOPEKA  – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Kansas House of Representatives passed House Bill 2783, which preserves Kansans’ right to buy the vehicle of their choosing.

“We applaud the Kansas House of Representatives for their strong, bipartisan support of consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura said.

“CEA has long been a strong advocate for allowing families and businesses to have a full array of choices in their use of energy. Choices allow for more affordable energy that helps ensure the lights stay on when we need them the most. It is our hope that this latest action sends a strong message to the U.S. EPA. Consumers should be able to choose vehicles that meet their mobility needs – regardless of fuel type.”

“With America’s auto manufacturers restructuring their investments based on lackluster demand for EVs, it is necessary for the federal government to not limit vehicle choice. Instead of mandating winners and losers, Washington should be supporting the continued research and development of advanced liquid fuels, batteries and hydrogen fuel cells so consumers will be able to choose the vehicles that meet their cost expectations and mobility needs. We look forward to this important legislation advancing in the Kansas Senate.”

CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:

  1. Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
  2. How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
  3. Where will replacement parts for EVs come from other than China?

The full report is available here.

###

 

About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.

Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

Energy Explorer: CNG vs. LNG

LNG tanker

In the area of alternative fuels, natural gas is one of the most affordable and reliable fuel technologies. Since the introduction of hydraulic fracturing, natural gas has become much more abundant, and considerably cheaper, making it increasingly one of the top fuel options in the United States and around the world. As a fuel, natural gas can be stored, transported and used in two different forms. The first is known as compressed natural gas (CNG,) and the second is liquefied natural gas (LNG.) Here’s what you need to know about these two forms of natural gas, the differences between them and how they can be used as alternatives to traditional gasoline.

What Differentiates CNG from LNG?

Compressed natural gas, or CNG, is a fuel type mostly used for buses and trucks. It is “compressed” to approximately 3,000 psi. The reason you see CNG fuel used more with fleet vehicles like buses and trucks is because, by the gallon, CNG has less energy than gasoline and requires a larger fuel tank. CNG is also relatively simple to make, requiring only high-pressure conditions to manufacture. Because of the simplistic nature of the process, CNG has been used at various pressures in vehicles since the 1930s.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by contrast, is a means for transporting natural gas via modes like pipelines, ships, tankers. Like CNG, LNG is compressed, but unlike CNG it is cooled to an extremely low to convert it from its normal gaseous state into a liquid state. During the transportation of LNG, it uses using auto-refrigeration to keep it cool to ensure it doesn’t revert to its gaseous state. This state allows it to be a fraction of its volume. Once it arrives at its destination, it can then be turned from a liquid, back into a gas.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Since its early uses and development over time, CNG has the advantage of being a proven, mature technology.  As such, CNG is known as a viable alternative fuel with relatively little new technological development required. While it can be cheaper than gasoline and helps to eliminate emissions, there hasn’t been a significant adoption by American drivers. That means these cars are harder to find, which also means there isn’t enough adequate infrastructure to support them.

LNG, on the other hand, also presents difficulties as an onboard fuel source since it must be kept cold and requires advanced refrigeration technology that is both difficult to equip vehicles with, not to mention, expensive. However, transporting LNG as a fuel source to markets around the world is a great way to provide different countries with access a fuel source they might not have had otherwise. Through infrastructure development and upgraded modes of transportation, LNG is helping to electrify developing nations and reduce emissions worldwide.

Uses in the Modern Energy Marketplace

Although they may seem to be in direct competition with one another, CNG and LNG can each fill different needs within the alternative fuel market. As nations look to various ways to reduce emissions and use new technologies, CNG is an adequate alternative fuel to gasoline.

LNG, on the other hand, plays a crucial role in providing fuels here at home and around the world. With the advent of hydraulic fracturing in the 1940s and new technology that has increased production in states across the country, LNG continues to supply the fuel needed for industrial manufacturing, transportation, and electricity generation. The latter is important as it is something power plants use as a fuel source so people can turn on their lights and heat and cool their homes. Countries all around the world use natural gas as an energy source, and as developing nations continue to grow, they are looking to gain access to LNG to help power their communities while decreasing their emissions.

As energy demand continues to rise, it’s likely that natural gas will become a much more common source of fuel. It will be a vital source of reliable power to help communities meet new energy mandates while simultaneously helping to reduce emissions. Because natural gas is a fuel that can be used in many different ways, it is likely you’ll hear more about CNG which can be used to power vehicles and LNG which helps transport natural gas to not only power homes, but factories and farms that power our world and contribute to the global economy.

 

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