New coalition says US has outgrown its energy policies

By Maureen Lorenzetti
OGJ Online

WASHINGTON, DC, May 2 -- The spirit of compromise was in the air as a new coalition of business interests Wednesday said there is a unique opportunity to help frame the debate on an energy policy that emphasizes both conservation and expanded energy supplies.

A new coalition called the Alliance for Energy & Economic Growth told a press briefing they want Congress to pass and the White House to approve a national energy policy that seeks "a long-term solution to our energy problems."

While the coalition is new, the members are many of the same players that have been lobbying Capitol Hill and the White House energy task force to revise regulatory policies that discourage access to oil-rich federal land.

The American Petroleum Institute, American Gas Association, Edison Electric Institute, and the US Chamber of Commerce are members. However the coalition also includes energy end-users such as agricultural interests and small business owners.

Coalition members from some of the larger energy trade groups told OGJ Online that the new lobbying campaign is a measured response to a misinformation campaign by some green and public interest groups who argue energy companies only want to grow the drill bit at the expense of the environment.

Industry recognizes that any comprehensive energy policy needs a balance of increased supply and reduced demand to ensure success, coalition members insist.

Any energy policy should include increases in energy efficiency and conservation to be successful, the Alliance told a press briefing. And policymakers should also implement rules that allow the nation's energy infrastructure to be renewed and expanded, they said. Adequate energy supplies and generation are needed as well as assurances that there is "appropriate consideration of the impacts of regulatory policy on energy."

Coalition members say glaring headlines about high gasoline prices and blackouts has put energy back in the public eye. And there is a small window of opportunity to build on that interest and create a long-term strategy that serves the country now and well into the future.

Next stop for the coalition is Capitol Hill, where both Republicans and Democrats have introduced energy bills to address problems, although it remains uncertain when legislation may be passed.

Contact Maureen Lorenzetti at [email protected]