News - American Energy Alliance

Ban North Face. Wait, Strike that. Reverse It.

March 26, 2021 by AEA 1 Comment

Sometimes it feels impossible not to get frustrated during this pandemic.

If you work in the American oil and gas industry and went from a president who is an energy hero to one that’s an energy zero, those times are increasing in frequency.

According to the 5th annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) report, 78 percent of oil and gas employees feel less secure in their jobs than they did a year ago. Gee, I wonder why.

But ask many of them, knowing what they know now, would they still enter the oil and gas industry for a career if they all had to do it all over again and the answer is a resounding yes.

So, they feel insecure about their industry but love what they do for a living, even among these challenging times, what are their concerns or frustrations?

An informal survey of oil and gas industry employees we at AEA conducted points to hypocrisy among the climate elite as one of the most frustrating issues of all.

Put aside the open hostility of President Biden’s executive orders, they say; it’s the aloof comments from people like White House climate czar John Kerry about the need for the U.S. to cut emissions and for oil and gas workers to get re-educated and relocate to build solar panel as he steps on to his private jet – which is built by and powered by oil – that seems to aggravate them the most.

And it isn’t just politicians, current or former, like Kerry, they find fault with when it comes to hypocrisy, or irony for that matter. For years, the industry has highlighted environmental protesters who flip on their microphones and loudspeakers (powered by oil and gas), organize their rallies through mobile phone technology and social media (powered by oil and gas), and travel by the busload (powered by oil and gas) to challenge the very industry that got them there (literally.)

The blatant hypocrisy against oil and gas has gone corporate, too. For years, companies like New Belgium, maker of delicious craft beers such as Fat Tire (at a minimum are delivered by oil and gas), or trendy clothing companies like Patagonia (literally made from petroleum products) have also taken a page from the John Kerry virtue signaling playbook.

North Face, an outdoor recreation clothing maker, delivered a high-profile rejection to Innovex, a Texas-based oilfield service company, when it denied the company the rights to put their logo on an order of four hundred North Face jackets—an employee gift Innovex planned on issuing. Innovex CEO Steve Rendle fired back at North Face via LinkedIn.

One might think the industry would call for a universal ban of North Face, right?

Instead, one brilliant oil and gas company flipped the script and praised North Face, going so far as to issue them an award.

Do tell, right?

Chris Wright, President and CEO of Liberty Oilfield, and outdoor enthusiast, took the time to dig through North Face’s online catalogue to discover every product the company sells includes nylon, polyester and polyurethane, all of which come from petroleum. That means North Face is a huge customer of the oil and gas industry, so Wright, along with the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), issued North Face an “Extraordinary Customer Award” via a safe, social-distanced press conference. Kudos to Shaun Boyd at CBS Denver, one of the largest television news outlets in Colorado, who covered the award and ceremony.

But petroleum’s lack of appreciation doesn’t stop with the outdoor gear and recreation like North Face or Patagonia, or New Belgium.

The Institute for Energy Research joined Chris Wright and COGA to highlight the enormous contribution oil and gas has made in addressing the coronavirus pandemic. These miracle vaccines would not be possible without the huge contributions of America’s first-in-the-world supplies of oil and natural gas, which are the basis of organic chemistry which in turn makes plastics that are used in the production of vials, screening and protective gear, and thousands of other applications throughout the medical logistics chain.

Hospitals are loaded with protective equipment, syringes, tubing, polypropylene masks, gowns and goggles all made with hydrocarbons. And each item is aimed at helping protect our first responders and patients. Or think about the cooling and filtering of air to keep our doctors and nurses healthy, and to help patients heal. The power for our hospitals is also critical. Hydrocarbons provide 63 percent of electricity nationwide, including power for emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and pharmaceutical production facilities. The two most common types of back-up generators used for hospitals are natural gas powered and diesel fueled combustion engines. A full tank of diesel fuel can maintain power for an entire hospital for about 8 hours. Depending on the size of the hospital and the amount of fuel stored on site, these types of generators can maintain power for at least 24 hours.

Can you imagine if Pfizer and Moderna could not rely on that power? Or, if they could not keep their vaccines stored at the necessary cold temperatures to ensure their effectiveness?

Our care providers and patients require ready and reliable access to power the life-saving machines supporting our most vulnerable, regardless of the weather conditions happening outside.

Lastly, reliable access to affordable transportation is also critical. 95 percent of our transportation fuels – gasoline, diesel and jet fuel – transport all the personnel, component parts and eventually the vaccines themselves.

In short, we’re fortunate as a country to have access to these important fuels to support our life saving medical care and preventative opportunities.

With their value higher than ever, you’d expect oil and gas workers to be celebrated. Instead, their facing all-time high contempt from the hypocritical climate elite. It’s a frustrating time indeed, but it’s refreshing to see someone like Chris Wright and COGA come in with a new take to a longstanding problem.

For more in depth information, consider listening — The Plugged In Podcast #72: Tom Pyle Speaks to the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: colorado, colorado energy, COVID-19, environmentalists, fossil fuels, natural gas, oil

A Tax on Carbon is a Tax On Everyone

March 26, 2021 by AEA Press Office Leave a Comment

Call it whatever you like, it’s still the most regressive tax imaginable.

WASHINGTON DC (March 26, 2021) – Today, the American Energy Alliance (AEA), the country’s premier pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer, and free-market energy organization, reiterated its opposition to a carbon tax – in any form – in reaction to the news that the American Petroleum Institute has endorsed a “price on carbon.”

AEA President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement:

“Let’s be clear. A price on carbon is a tax on energy. A national energy tax is an easy position for big, multi-national companies to embrace because it gives the federal government what it wants (more tax revenue); attempts to appease the greens (it won’t); and compels customers to pay more in taxes to the federal government in the false hope of avoiding additional future regulations (the progressives have already ruled this out).
“Those who are left out of the conversation are consumers, small businesses, the poor, seniors, and those on fixed incomes – basically everyone.
“I have been advocating for years that the House and Senate should debate and vote on a clean bill to create a federal carbon tax so that the American people can clearly see where their elected representatives stand on this issue. I look forward to a robust public discussion about how the Biden Administration, Congressional Democrats, and big business, including some integrated oil companies, are united in support of imposing the most regressive tax imaginable on American voters.”

Additional Resources:

For media inquiries please contact:
[email protected]

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: American Petroleum Institute, carbon tax, carbon taxes, energy tax, taxing carbon

The Unregulated Podcast #29 Tom and Mike Discuss the Early Days of the Biden Administration with Mandy Gunasekara

March 26, 2021 by AEA Leave a Comment

Tom and Mike discuss the early days of the Biden administration with guest Mandy Gunasekara, the 13 states challenging Biden’s oil leasing ban, and Dana Carvey’s Biden and Fauci impressions.

Links:

“He’s Kind Of A Tough Guy” – Dana Carvey On His Dr. Fauci Impression

13 states challenge Biden oil leasing plan

Global Energy Inequality Goes Deeper Than Bitcoin

An SUV packed with 25 people at the border. A horrible crash, an unthinkable toll

Biden clip 1

Biden clip 2

American Energy Alliance · Tom and Mike discuss the early days of the Biden administration with guest Mandy Gunasekara

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: domestic energy, energy production, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Federal lands, Joe Biden, Podcast, public lands

WSJ Outlines Biden Admin’s Backdoor Climate Agenda

March 19, 2021 by AEA Leave a Comment

The Wall Street Journal published an editorial March 18 discussing the Biden administration’s “backdoor” plan to advance climate regulations. As the editorial outlines, it appears that the Biden EPA plans to use the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to move forward with climate regulations in order to avoid the political costs of voting on any such regulations in congress.

Some history

In Massachusetts v. EPA (2007) the Supreme Court ruled that the law’s general definition of the term “pollutant” covered greenhouse gases, but the Court didn’t tell the EPA how to regulate carbon dioxide under the law. This set the stage for the Obama EPA’s endangerment finding, which declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health and welfare.

In the wake of the endangerment finding, green groups pressured the Obama EPA to include carbon dioxide as a criteria pollutant and to set National Air Ambient Quality Standards for it. Because carbon dioxide doesn’t produce any direct negative effects on public health, Obama EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson advised against the idea of regulating it as a criteria pollutant. Instead, the Obama EPA used its Clean Power Plan to try to force states to reduce emissions from power plants. However, the Clean Power Plan was eventually blocked by the Supreme Court.

The New Plan

The climate lobby now appears to have a scheme underway by which it will use a replacement ozone rule to regulate carbon dioxide. The Biden administration has tapped Joe Goffman, a former Obama EPA official, to oversee NAAQS as principal deputy assistant administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation. As the Wall Street Journal’s editorial explains:

“Emails obtained by Chris Horner at Energy Policy Advocates, which were shared with us, show Democratic AGs in 2019 consulted Mr. Goffman, then at Harvard Law School, on using the NAAQS to regulate CO2. Mr. Goffman connected the AGs to former EPA officials and environmental attorneys. As his new EPA profile slyly explains, Mr. Goffman at Harvard ‘led a team of attorneys and communications specialists providing information and analysis to stakeholders, government decision-makers and the media.’
Consultants referred by Mr. Goffman told the AGs that regulating CO2 as a criteria pollutant wouldn’t fly. But they proposed using ozone NAAQS as what one called a ‘backdoor.’ Fossil fuel combustion, motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions contribute to ozone. So the EPA could make states reduce CO2 emissions by tightening ozone standards. States might have to outlaw natural gas-powered appliances, gas stations and internal combustion engines to meet stricter ozone standards.”

On January 19^th, sixteen Democratic AGs challenged the EPA’s current ozone NAAQS in a one paragraph lawsuit that says the current standards are “unlawful, arbitrary and capricious and therefore must be vacated.” With Joe Goffman now in place in Biden’s EPA, it appears their goal is to construct a replacement ozone rule that would provide de facto regulation of carbon dioxide emissions.

In short, it appears as though Democratic AGs, green groups, and a top EPA official are working in unison to impose the Green New Deal on states through the backdoor because, as the Wall Street Journal puts it, “they know they can’t pass it through the front in Congress.”

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: carbon emissions, climate change, climate change agenda, EPA, Joe Biden, wall street journal

CLEAN Future Act Puts Ratepayers On The Hook For EV Infrastructure

March 18, 2021 by Alexander Stevens Leave a Comment

In early March, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) introduced the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act. The bill aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels no later than 2030.

Taken as a whole, the bill would impose overbearing regulations on the production of our most reliable energy sources, which would raise costs on energy consumers and destroy jobs in the energy industry. Here, I want to focus on one particular section of the bill that aims at encouraging the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations in the name of environmental justice. Here is the summary language for the relevant section of the CLEAN Future Act:

“Sec. 435. STATE CONSIDERATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING.
Amends PURPA section 111(d) to require states consider authorizing measures encouraging deployment of electric vehicle charging stations; allowing utilities to recover from ratepayers’ investments that further deployment of electric vehicle charging networks; and excluding from regulation as electric utilities entities selling electricity to the public solely through electric vehicle chargers.”

Under rate-of-return regulation, utilities are allowed to recover their cost to do business and earn a guaranteed return on invested capital. Under this system, there is little incentive for the utility to reduce operating costs. As long as the rate-of-return is above the cost of debt, the rate base can be inflated by spending more capital than is necessary. If passed, the CLEAN Future Act would allow utilities to rate base the construction of electric vehicle charging stations, meaning that the cost of these charging stations will be passed on to utility customers as a whole.

As we have noted elsewhere, EVs are already heavily subsidized and those subsidies are costly, unnecessary, and unfair. Electric vehicles are mainly subsidized through tax credits, which are the result of the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 6049) and The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). These provide federal income tax credits for new qualified electric vehicles of up to $7,500.

According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the majority of people who claim the electric vehicle tax credit earn a much higher income than the national average. As the report notes:

“In 2016, 57,066 individual taxpayers claimed $375 million in plug-in EV tax credits. EV tax credits are disproportionately claimed by higher-income taxpayers. Most of the tax credits (78%) are claimed by filers with adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or more, and those filers receive an even higher proportion (83%) of the amount of credits claimed. About 7% of credits claimed, and 8% of the total amount of credits, were on returns where the taxpayer’s AGI exceeded $1 million.”

That same report found, based on estimates provided by the Joint Committee on Taxation, that under current law tax expenditure (forgone revenue) for the plug-in EV tax credit would be $7.5 billion between 2018 and 2022.

In other words, American taxpayers are already spending billions of dollars to subsidize electric vehicles that are mostly being purchased by high-income earners. On top of that, this new bill would ensure that the costs of building out EV infrastructure will be paid by utility ratepayers in the form of higher electricity prices. This follows a familiar pattern where policies that are enacted in the name of ‘environmental justice’ disproportionately benefit wealthier individuals while the costs are passed on to everyone else.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: CLEAN Future Act, electric cars, electric vehicles, electricity prices, EV tax credit, EVs, ratepayers

The Unregulated #28: Tom and Mike Discuss Biden’s Remarks on the American Rescue Plan

March 17, 2021 by AEA Leave a Comment

Tom and Mike sit down to discuss Biden’s remarks on the American Rescue Plan as well as the Andrew Cuomo scandals and the petition to recall Gavin Newsom.

Links:

Subscribe to AEA’s ‘In The Pipeline” daily energy newsletter

Remarks by President Biden on the American Rescue Plan

Biden Tells the Nation There is Hope After a Devastating Year

Fauci CNN Interview

Gavin Newsom Recall: National Democrats Rally Behind California Governor.

Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand call on Cuomo to resign over the sexual harassment scandal.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo accuser speaks with investigators for 4 hours.

Dingell to propose $4.5 billion annually for electrification infrastructure.

American Energy Alliance · # 28 Tom and Mike discuss Biden's remarks on the American Rescue Plan

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom, Joe Biden, Podcast, Senator Chuck Schumer

Key Vote NO on Haaland Confirmation

March 15, 2021 by AEA Leave a Comment

While Biden’s nominees for various energy and economic positions have been awful, Rep. Haaland may be the most extreme. Her wholehearted opposition to the invaluable practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), her advocacy for the “30×30” movement, which would exclude most of the federal lands from productive use, and her endorsement of the Green New Deal make her unfit to lead the department.

Haaland hails from New Mexico, the epicenter of America’s thriving oil and gas production, and earned a 0% as a member of Congress on our Energy Scorecard. That means she actively opposes domestic energy production and seeks to drive up energy prices while inhibiting America’s energy security. Supporting her in this role should be political suicide and we’re making that crystal clear with today’s vote alert. These aren’t threats, these are facts.

Any Senator who casts a vote in support of Haaland is voting against American energy and will be forced to explain to their own constituents that they are directly responsible for rising energy prices and why foreign nations like China, who controls the rare earth mineral market required for renewable energy manufacturing, is in control of our energy future, not us.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Deb Haaland, Key Vote

AEA Issues Energy Scorecard Vote Alert for DOI Nominee Deb Haaland

March 15, 2021 by AEA Press Office Leave a Comment

Senators casting votes in support of Rep. Haaland for Interior Secretary will earn a negative mark on AEA’s Energy Scorecard.

WASHINGTON DC (March 15, 2021) – Today, the American Energy Alliance (AEA), the country’s premier pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer, and free-market energy organization, issued a vote alert to members of the U.S. Senate that the organization would be scoring the confirmation vote of Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) as the next Secretary of Interior. AEA’s Energy Scorecard has two primary audiences – voters and lawmakers – and its purpose is to highlight activity around the most important energy-related votes and legislation in Congress.

Last month, AEA issued a series of questions exposing poor judgment and actions by Haaland and a history of unscientific commentary on climate change and opposition to domestic energy production. Tapping America’s vast energy resources on federal lands has proven to keep energy prices affordable and increased our nation’s energy security.

A vote in support of Haaland, who opposes safe and responsible domestic energy development, will result in a negative mark on a Senator’s Energy Scorecards.

AEA President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement ahead of the vote:

“While Biden’s nominees for various energy and economic positions have been awful, Rep. Haaland may be the most extreme. Her wholehearted opposition to the invaluable practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), her advocacy for the “30×30” movement, which would exclude most of the federal lands from productive use, and her endorsement of the Green New Deal make her unfit to lead the department.
“Haaland hails from New Mexico, the epicenter of America’s thriving oil and gas production, and earned a 0% as a member of Congress on our Energy Scorecard. That means she actively opposes domestic energy production and seeks to drive up energy prices while inhibiting America’s energy security. Supporting her in this role should be political suicide and we’re making that crystal clear with today’s vote alert. These aren’t threats, these are facts.
“Any Senator who casts a vote in support of Haaland is voting against American energy and will be forced to explain to their own constituents that they are directly responsible for rising energy prices and why foreign nations like China, who controls the rare earth mineral market required for renewable energy manufacturing, is in control of our energy future, not us.”

Federal policies impacting energy production on America’s public lands hit Haaland’s home state of New Mexico particularly hard, where $2.8 billion in revenue is derived from oil and gas production. At least half of New Mexico’s oil and gas production occurs on federal lands, and the revenue generated from oil and gas funds almost 40% of the state’s budget. Furthermore, President Biden’s Interior Department initiated a 60-day suspension of new oil and gas drilling permits on Jan. 21, which if remained permanent is estimated to result in 72,818 fewer jobs annually. Lost wages would total $19.6 billion, economic activity would decline $43.8 billion, and tax revenues would drop $10.8 billion by the end of Biden’s first term. Western governors, including Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), have voiced concern about federal decisions that overwhelmingly impact western states.

On Friday, AEA urged U.S. citizens who support affordable energy to contact their senators and urge a No vote on Haaland. After votes are cast, AEA will use its Energy Scorecard to highlight those that vote for and against Haaland. Americans deserve an Interior Secretary who has a record of seeking a balanced approach to federal lands activities and who supports energy security.

Additional Resources:

For media inquiries please email AEA’s Press Office: [email protected]

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: Deb Haaland, Department of interior, Joe Biden, Key Vote, Senate

The Unregulated Podcast #26: Tom and Mike on the Fall of King Cuomo and the Resurgence of the Carbon Tax

March 5, 2021 by AEA Leave a Comment

On this episode of Unregulated Tom & Mike throw the script out the window. Taking on the Cuomo fan club, going over the latest DOE chief’s unbelievable gaffes, Murkowski’s recent betrayal of Alaskans, the fall of Neera Tanden, what’s going wrong with the trade groups nominally created to defend energy producers, and more.

Links:

• Subscribe to AEA’s ‘In The Pipeline” daily energy newsletter

• Mike’s latest column at the Washington Times

• GERALDO RIVERA & DAN BONGINO | GOV. ANDREW CUOMO TO STEP DOWN AMID SCANDALS | SEAN HANNITY

• Jennifer Granholm Discusses The U.S.’s Energy Infrastructure on NPR

• Postal Service sidetracks Biden EV plan

• las·si·tude (noun) a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy