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New Ethane Cracker Plant Brings Benefits

Two engineers in front of large refinery

New infrastructure always brings new revenue to the community. Chris Ventura, Consumer Energy Alliance Midwest Director urges Ohioans to support the Belmont County cracker facility.

“This new supply chain will also spark the construction of much-needed infrastructure projects and revenue to serve the communities around it. That means better roads, better funding for schools and more family-sustaining jobs.

 

What’s more, the plant’s finished products, made from ethane-based building blocks, are essential to making our lives safer and our environment greener. Some of these products include life-saving medical equipment, car seats, helmets and the plastics used to make electric cars lighter and able to go farther on a single charge.”

Read more – The Vindicator

PURPA is Outdated Regulation, and We Need an Upgrade

South Carolina Myrtle Beach

The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) is costing consumers billions, and desperately needs an upgrade. CEA Southeast Director, Kevin Doyle shares how it’s impacted South Carolinians.

“PURPA forces utilities to purchase renewable energy at inflated prices regardless of whether they need the electricity or not. These long-term contracts (some decades long) don’t take into account any updates, such as the cost of renewables or the need for power.

 

Now that we’re advancing renewables, driving up the cost unnecessarily through old laws only serves to slow the growth and forces higher costs on those who can least afford it. In the past five years alone, South Carolina consumers have overpaid by as much as $2.3 billion.”

Read more – Go Upstate

Top 5 Energy Stories This Week

energy

Much has been happening across the United States as Americans continue to wait for the latest news updates on COVID-19. Over the last week, many states have given stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the virus, Congress passed the $2 trillion stimulus package, which President Donald Trump plans to sign, and the internet is off the rails with humorous memes. We’re absolutely sure you’ve seen some or all of these headlines, but wanted to share a few headlines about how the virus is impacting the energy industry. In case you missed last week’s stories, you can find them right here.

Team of Construction Workers

5Utility companies are putting emergency plans in place, including asking workers to live on site.

Keeping the lights on and the nation running are imperative as we are in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. That means utility contingency plans are including key personnel to be on site for any potential issues. Reuters provides the rest of the details here.

Oil Workers Climb a Rig

4In addition to potentially moving employees into facilities, power companies are also seeing load impacts.

American companies are following the example from energy utilities across the world. About a week after Italy went on lockdown, it saw an 18% to 21% reduction in peak demand and energy usage. It is still too early to fully predict the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S., but important for American consumers to be aware of. Utility Dive shares the rest of the story here.

Gavel in hearing room

3Despite a global pandemic, the energy regulatory show must go on.

As the Environmental Protection Agency remains open and continues to work, so are other federal agencies working on proposed changes to Federal rules. One requires raw data from any scientific study to be disclosed – including medical records, that could be used to identify people. Thankfully, the public can still make their own voices heard as part of the rulemaking process at regulations.gov. The Associated Press continues this story here.

trucking

2Let’s take a moment to thank our fellow truck drivers, who are tirelessly hauling food and essential goods across America to ensure the shelves in our stores are stocked. They are risking their own health to help keep us safe, fed and medicated during the outbreak.

In addition to being at risk of contracting the coronavirus itself, the transportation sector is vulnerable to the economic impact of COVID-19, citing that a disruption in the supply chain and lower freight demands may hurt trucking carriers and other intermodal businesses. Utility Dive parcels out the story here.

Nuclear power plant

1Regularly planned outages at nuclear power plants have been thwarted by the novel coronavirus.

Nuclear power plants are designed to have shutdowns every 18 to 24 months for regular maintenance. This typically takes 30 to 60 days, and requires specialized workers to move throughout the country to perform these duties. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has challenged the mobility aspect of this critical process. Power Magazine covers the rest here.

Consumer Group Backs Efforts to Ensure Utility Workers Are Designated as Essential

Linemen Working on Transformer

Washington, D.C. – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading consumer energy advocate, applauds and supports the joint effort by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) to encourage states to designate all utility workers as essential parts of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

The collaboration takes its cue from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidance on critical infrastructure workers during the coronavirus crisis. CEA Vice President of State Affairs Brydon Ross said:

“Utility workers are first responders under ordinary circumstances, keeping the lights on for our families and small businesses all the time – be it fixing power lines after a wind storm or hurricane, or just ensuring that our electrical grid is robust and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At a time of crisis like this, it should go without saying that they are essential workers. But we cannot leave our utility systems and pipeline networks up to chance now, or ever.”

“CEA encourages all states to heed the CISA guidance when deciding which workers and sectors are critical, to avoid creating an uneven response that could interrupt supply chains in an unintended manner. While we persevere through the coronavirus crisis, we must be cognizant of the economic effects of our response.”

“Keeping our critical supply chains intact starts with making sure the workers out on the front lines maintaining them or helping keep them open indirectly are able to work. This includes everyone like emergency first responders, factory workers, utility workers, pipeline operators and construction, truckers delivering essential food and medicine, and the mechanics who service our trucking and ambulance fleets.”

“They must be able to do their jobs, and we encourage all states to consider a uniform response based on the CISA guidance to ensure that our companies and workers are able to keep delivering for American families and businesses.”

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About Consumer Energy Alliance

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading consumer advocate for energy, 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, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households and businesses across the country. CEA works daily to encourage people across the nation to seek sensible, realistic and environmentally responsible solutions to meeting our energy needs. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.

Contact:

Bryson Hull
P: 202-657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org

Nation’s Leading Consumer Energy Advocate Raises Concerns with Court Decision that Could Impact the Already Approved, Permitted and Completed Dakota Access Pipeline

Pipeline construction with welder

Houston, TX – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading consumer energy advocate, released the following statement after a Judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to rework an environmental impact statement for the already completed Dakota Access pipeline. David Holt, CEA’s president said:

“CEA is confounded that a pipeline that’s been in service for three years, approved by federal regulators after years of public input, and is already carrying oil between North Dakota and Illinois continues to be needlessly attacked by professional agitators looking to suppress energy development.”

“This reckless decision to appease activists creates an absurd precedent that would potentially cause endless chaos for infrastructure projects all across the country that provide the energy backbone for millions of Americans. The people hurt most by this decision are families, farmers and small businesses who rely on continued access to affordable and stable supplies of fuel – which is especially important during these uncertain economic times when our neighbors and communities are responding to Covid-19.”

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About Consumer Energy Alliance

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading consumer advocate for energy, 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, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households and businesses across the country. CEA works daily to encourage people across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our energy needs. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.

Contact:

Emily Haggstrom

P: 720-582-0242

ehaggstrom@consumerenergyalliance.org

Nation’s Leading Consumer Energy Advocate Applauds Federal Court Decision of Bayou Bridge Pipeline

Louisiana bayou tours

Houston, TX – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading consumer energy advocate, released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana rejected a challenge from anti-energy activist groups who raised unnecessary concerns over permits for the Bayou Bridge pipeline project that have been upheld by previous court rulings. Kaitlin Schmidtke, CEA’s Louisiana State Director said:

“CEA applauds the Court’s decision on this critically important infrastructure. It confirms that the Army Corps of Engineers did its due diligence and was thorough in its environmental permitting review. We can protect both our fragile wetlands and the environment while also ensuring that families and small businesses have the energy resources they need to fuel their daily lives.”

“This commonsense decision shows us why frivolous lawsuits from anti-energy activists that only serve to harm energy supplies need to be rejected. By allowing this project to continue, the energy that will be transported through this pipeline will be able to help meet the energy needs for Louisianans – which is especially important during these uncertain times when our neighbors and communities are responding to Covid-19.”

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About Consumer Energy Alliance

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading consumer advocate for energy, 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, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households and businesses across the country. CEA works daily to encourage people across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our energy needs. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org.

Contact:

Emily Haggstrom

P: 720-582-0242

ehaggstrom@consumerenergyalliance.org

Gas Pipeline Ruling Gives States Too Much Power

Welder Inside of Pipeline

Consumer Energy Alliance and other industry groups urged the Supreme Court to repeal a ruling on the PennEast pipeline, citing that the ruling would have devastating impacts on families, farmers and small businesses alike.

“A change in the ability to use eminent domain authority on state land could also mean more uncertainty around the viability of natural gas projects, rendering investments more difficult to secure and pipelines more expensive to build, wrote the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

 

Other groups warned of “ripple effects across the economy” from the elimination of high-paying construction jobs for natural gas infrastructure and expressed concerns about potentially higher energy costs for those living in poverty or on fixed incomes.”

Read more – E&E News (subscription required)

Ending Fracking in Texas Would Trigger Recession

Texas State Capitol building in downtown Austin USA

When a state’s economy saves $60 billion from one industry, it’s best to keep that industry afloat. It is important that Texas policymakers ensure that a booming industry doesn’t take a large hit.

“Texas is the country’s leading producer of both natural gas and crude oil. This massive increase in domestic shale development, led by fracking, has caused natural gas prices to plummet in Texas, saving state residents and businesses more than $60 billion from 2006 to 2016, according to a 2018 study from the Consumer Energy Alliance.”

Read more – The Heartland Institute

Economic Costs of a Fracking Ban Would be Too Much for Colorado

Larimer Street in Denver Colorado

As we previously reported, oil and natural gas production in Colorado is helping families and businesses save $12.4 billion. Because of these savings and the impact of the oil and gas industry on the economy, a fracking ban would be detrimental.

“The development of shale reserves in Colorado has turned the state into the sixth-largest producer of natural gas in the United States, as well as the fifth-largest producer of crude oil. This massive increase in domestic shale development, led by fracking, has caused natural gas prices to plummet in Colorado, saving state residents and businesses more than $12.4 billion from 2006 to 2016, according to a 2018 study from the Consumer Energy Alliance.”

Read more – The Heartland Institute

Energy Officials Push Back on Biden’s Fracking Comment During Debate

Construction Workers Talking

As blanket bans on fracking continue to be a topic of conversation at debates, the devastation on economies that depend on the energy industry continue to be glossed over. CEA Midwest Director, Chris Ventura points out exactly how much of an impact a fracking ban would have for Ohio energy consumers.

“Indeed, it has led to Ohio consumers — families and businesses — saving more than $40 billion on natural gas,” Ventura said. “And during this time of increased production in the state, Ohio’s carbon emissions are down 16% since 1990.”

Read more – Ohio Business Daily

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