Energy Tomorrow Blog
Energy Policies and Potential Impacts on Household Budgets
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Dean Foreman
Posted February 16, 2021
Most people get riled up when energy costs rise, especially prices at the pump. It’s understandable; energy represented 6.5% of household expenditures in 2019, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Yet, as we’ll see, energy policy choices can affect far more than just what you pay for a gallon of gasoline or your monthly electricity bill.
For example, imagine how you would feel if you learned that U.S. energy policies materially raised the cost of houses and vehicles, in addition to the fuel they require, the costs of which have been on the rise. Those two together plus energy represent more than half of a typical household’s expenditures.
Higher energy costs are a distinct possibility with the Biden administration’s decision to halt new federal natural gas and oil leasing, potentially reducing domestic production, as well as possible moves on the regulatory front and other actions that could limit drilling or hydraulic fracturing. These could put upward pressure on energy costs that then would ripple across various sectors since virtually everything has an energy component.
Natural Gas and the Primacy of Serving Consumers
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Mark Green
Posted July 30, 2020
There’s a basic principle in play in recent news developments in Massachusetts and Ohio – that public energy policy should serve people, not the other way around. In both states, access to clean natural gas, for affordable, reliable energy, means benefits for consumers.
Start in Massachusetts, where the state attorney general struck down the town of Brookline’s bylaw that would have barred new residences from installing natural gas infrastructure for space heating and hot water – mimicking similar restrictions imposed by Berkeley, California. That doesn’t necessarily mean Massachusetts AG Maura Healey has an affinity for natural gas; her decision was based on the primacy of state law and regulations.
No matter, consumers win. And in the process this point is elevated: Public bodies should ensure that dependable, affordable energy is available to consumers – instead of erecting artificial, market-distorting barriers to service.
A Force For Good
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Megan Bloomgren
Posted June 13, 2019
John Watson, then the chairman and CEO of Chevron, once was asked how the natural gas and oil industry is perceived since so much of the climate discussion is aimed solely at producing fossil fuels.
Unflinchingly, Watson countered that his industry is a noble one – delivering light, heat, transportation, food, clothing and other benefits to people every day – and that natural gas and oil are foundational for almost everything that we use and do. Simply put, Watson asserted that natural gas and oil are forces for good in human development and far from a deterrent (and instead an enabler) of climate progress.
It was an argument for the societal value of natural gas and oil and the opportunities they create, thanks to U.S. energy abundance.
Affordable Natural Gas and Bettering Low-Income Americans’ Lives
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Mark Green
Posted May 29, 2019
The headline of the opinion piece in the Orange County Register caught my eye – and should get the attention of everyone in this country:
“Fracking saves low-income Americans’ lives”
The article is based on research published earlier this year, which calculated that lower heating costs associated with surging domestic natural gas production averted 11,000 winter deaths in the U.S. each winter from 2005 to 2010.
Read on for details, but this research makes the critically important connection between abundant energy and Americans’ well-being.
Strong Public Support for New England Infrastructure
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Sabrina Fang
Posted June 1, 2016
To create jobs, continue progress in reducing emissions and ensure America’s homes and manufacturers have access to affordable energy, energy infrastructure should be a top priority. Private businesses are ready to invest and workers are ready to build, now politicians need to get out of the way.
The Facts About Natural Gas Storage
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Marty Durbin
Posted February 5, 2016
Our industry’s continuing commitment to safety is underscored in a new federal advisory bulletin on underground natural gas storage facilities that urges field operators to implement industry best practices developed by API and other organizations. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA):
Operators must adhere to applicable State regulations for the permitting, drilling, completion, and operation of storage wells. In developing, implementing, and updating their safety and integrity programs, we encourage underground gas storage facility operators to … voluntarily implement American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practices (RP) … and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) standards entitled “Natural Gas Storage in Salt Caverns – A Guide for State Regulators” (IOGCC Guide), as applicable. … API has an accredited process to develop recommended practices and standards that involves industry, manufacturers, engineering firms, construction contractors, the public, academia, and government.
API worked with other trade associations and PHMSA to develop two recommended practices (RPs) last year – one focused on safe practices for designing, storing and operating natural gas in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and another detailing how to safely design, store and operate natural gas in salt caverns. Both RPs discuss proper construction methods, materials and maintenance practices to ensure safe operations.
Natural Gas – An Electric Win
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Mark Green
Posted January 29, 2016
Politicians like to have visions – often broad aspirational statements that are mostly detached from any number of realities. We’re not opposed to visions per se, yet it’s good to remember a maxim that’s popular in the military: A vision without resources is a hallucination. So here’s our vision, outlined by API President and CEO Jack Gerard earlier this month:
“Energy is fundamental to our society … In this New Year let us all resolve to work together toward a shared vision of a world where everyone – without regard to zip code, state, nation, continent or hemisphere – has access to reliable, safe and affordable energy.”
This is no aspiration detached from reality. We know how to get the needed resources to actualize this vision – a market-driven, consumer-focused approach to energy policy that boosts our nation’s economy, helps the environment and benefits energy users here and around the world.
A High-Energy Thanksgiving
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Mark Green
Posted November 25, 2015
The (Good) Economics of America’s Energy Boom
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Mary Schaper
Posted January 8, 2015
Energy Tomorrow Radio: Episode - 119 Oil's Impact on Economic Growth
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Jane Van Ryan
Posted October 12, 2010