Congress will soon consider new taxes and fees on America’s oil and natural gas industry that would be detrimental to our economy—less energy, jobs and government revenue. Learn more and tell Congress to oppose these proposals.
The 49th state in the Union is marked by its uniqueness. Alaska is the largest of all 50 states. It is the only state where the sun doesn't set in summer and doesn't rise far above the horizon in the winter. It contains some of America's largest oil and natural gas deposits, many of which remain untapped. And its residents could be more affected by the Waxman-Markey climate bill than many other U.S. citizens.
As I've mentioned numerous times in this blog, the Waxman-Markey bill could sharply raise energy costs and kill jobs, according to studies. In Alaska, it also could have a severe impact on the purchasing power of each household, lowering it by as much as $3,890 a year by 2030.
Did you know that the laws of supply and demand have a huge impact on energy costs?
As the Associated Press reported on Aug. 27, the price of natural gas fell to its lowest level in seven years last week after the Energy Information Administration reported that underground storage areas are filling up. In trading last Thursday, natural gas prices dropped to as low as $2.692 per 1,000 cubic feet--the lowest price since August 7, 2002.
If you ever want to see democracy in action, attend an Energy Citizens rally for jobs and affordable energy. Thursday, at the rally in Tampa, Florida, 175 people of all ages came together in hopes of sending a message to their elected officials in Tallahassee and Washington.
"For now Canadian bitumen oil is answering about 20% of the U.S. demand and the local people are looking to get past 40%. I wouldn't be surprised as economic confidence increases, their goals will go up. I for one am glad for it."
When she was asked why she decided to attend the Energy Citizens rally in Nashville, the woman in the white sweater said simply, "passion." And Tonya Jones' passion showed when she got onto the stage and explained that she is a small business owner who can't afford the provisions in the House-passed climate bill.
She wasn't alone. As the audience of 325 people listened respectfully, similar warnings were issued by speakers from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau. They agreed that the U.S. Senate should scrap the Waxman-Markey bill and start over.
It's always interesting to see how politicians use different words to describe the same thing. For example, some members of Congress call the Waxman-Markey bill that narrowly passed in the House an energy bill, while others call it a climate bill. In truth, it is a tax bill that, according to studies, threatens to sharply raise gasoline and diesel fuel costs as well as eliminate millions of jobs.
How did you get to work, to school, or to the grocery store today? If you're like most Americans, you took some form of transportation powered by gasoline or diesel fuel. In the United States, where personal mobility is critically important, fuels refined from oil are a necessity. They power cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, trains, and are integral to the American way of life.
At 7:26 a.m., Friday, August 21, in Lima, Ohio, the lead story on the local NBC newscast showed hundreds of people lining up in a parking lot for free food. They stood behind a panel truck from the West Ohio Food Bank as cardboard boxes were handed down to them.
One man standing in line said he was laid off in April. Others had similar stories.
As I wrote yesterday, this is a monumental week for the energy industry. It marks the 150th anniversary of the first successful oil drill and the significant changes we've been able to make since. Now, more energy production is required for the maintenance of our emerging economy.
Two more CRA International studies have been released, citing the likely economic impact of the Waxman-Markey bill. They show that the bill, if enacted, would reduce the number of jobs and lower purchasing power in both Ohio and New Mexico.
This week marks the 150th anniversary of the first successful oil well drilled in the United States. In 1859, Col. Edwin Drake drilled down to a depth of 69½ feet near a creek in Pennsylvania where oil naturally seeped out of the ground and in the process, he changed the American way of life.
In a move to improve U.S. energy security, the U.S. State Department today issued a Presidential Permit to Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership allowing the construction of the Alberta Clipper pipeline. This pipeline--which will be built on an existing Enbridge right-of-way--will bring a steady supply of Canadian crude oil to refineries in the United States.
As Energy Citizens are preparing to rally in North Carolina, a new study shows that as many as 87,000 jobs could be wiped out in the state if the House-passed climate bill becomes law. The study also projects that the average North Carolina household would see its purchasing power fall by as much as $840 a year, and the state domestic product would fall by 1.6 percent. The impact on the state's economy could be devastating as tax revenues shrink, taking away much-needed funds for schools, police and fire departments, and hospitals.
For those of you who couldn't attend yesterday's Energy Citizens rally in Houston, we've posted a video about the event. As you'll see, the crowd donned the yellow T-shirts passed out at the door, waved signs and listened intently to the speakers.
According to API's monthly statistics report, July oil product deliveries--a measure of demand--fell 3.0 percent from a year ago, which slowed the rate of decline by half compared with the first half of the year.
About 3,500 people streamed into Houston's Verizon Wireless Center today to remind Congress that energy is the backbone of the U.S. economy. Many wore bright yellow T-shirts emblazoned with "I'm an Energy Citizen," and hundreds signed petitions opposing the House-passed climate bill. Studies have shown that the bill will greatly increase fuel prices and eliminate millions of jobs.
This week's episode focuses on the recent tour of oil sands operations in Alberta, Canada that I've been posting about frequently. As I've mentioned, oil sands are a critically important resource, providing crude oil to the United States. Of the more than 2 million barrels of Canadian crude oil that are imported to the U.S. every day, about half is derived from Canada's abundant oil sands.
As the Senate will soon debate its version of a climate change bill, last Friday, a CRA International analysis of the "American Clean Energy and Security Act"--which passed by a narrow 219-212 House vote in June--reveals the devastating impact the legislation would have on Texans.
A lot of reporters and bloggers have been jumping to conclusions about the rallies being organized in the next couple of weeks. Some have written that we're "taking a cue" from the health care opponents who've been attending town hall meetings across the country. Others are accusing us of Astroturfing. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Here are facts. API and other groups have come together in a loose alliance called Energy Citizens to give Americans the opportunity to remind Congress that energy is the backbone of the nation's economy and way of life. As part of the effort, local individuals and organizations will be participating in "Rallies for Jobs and Affordable Energy" in 19 states during the congressional recess.
Yesterday, API hosted bloggers for a conference call featuring Robert Renner, Alberta Minister of the Environment. Minister Renner was available to take questions about Canada's oil sands from the bloggers who recently toured ConocoPhillips and Syncrude operations in Alberta.
Yesterday, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. announced that the Discoverer Clear Leader--an ultra-deepwater drillship newly built to Chevron's specifications--has begun work in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico, allowing Chevron to expand its search for new domestic sources of energy.
During the past several days, I've written extensively about Canada's oil sands, how they are produced, and the environmental programs that convert the disturbed land into meadows, forests and lakes. Today, in my final post about last week's oil sands tour, I want to provide you with some basic facts that often don't appear in news articles about oil sands development.
Alberta Oil Sands Location Tour-- Aug. 7, 2009 -- Fort McMurray, Alberta: The tour group wearing their NOMEX suits at ConocoPhillips' Surmont site.
So you mine the oil sands, extract the oil, reclaim the land--and then what do you do? At the Syncrude oil sands operation in Alberta, you start a bison ranch--wood bison, to be specific.
Approximately 300 of these big, shaggy mammals live on nearly 1,730 acres of reclaimed land that used to be an oil sands mine. Today the former mine comprises several pastures where the bison graze and rid themselves of insects by rolling in the dirt or rubbing against scratching posts. They live a good life with plenty of food and water, and with freedom from the diseases that are threatening the existence of the species.
Did you know that today is National 811 Day? It's a date set aside by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to promote awareness of underground utilities through the use of the nationwide "811" call-in number for individuals, companies and governments preparing to dig.
And in Georgia, Colonial Pipeline has finished painting a set of its giant storage tanks with the "811 - Call Before You Dig" emblem as part of its efforts to prevent damage to underground utilities.
Day Two of the oil sands tour, August 7 - About 60 kilometers southeast of Ft. McMurray, Alberta, ConocoPhillips is producing crude oil from oil sands using a process called in-situ development. In concept, in-situ development sounds fairly simple. The oil sands are heated underground with steam, gravity pulls the hot oil down toward a wellbore, and the oil is brought to the surface.
Simple, right? Not really. In actuality, the process requires high-tech engineering, precise execution and the ability to see underground using sophisticated seismic testing and monitoring equipment.
Day one of the oil sands tour, Aug. 6 - We're standing in a quarry where a steady stream of 380-ton to 400-ton, multi-story vehicles roll in and out, accepting loads of oil sands. As soon as one vehicle is loaded, another one takes its place next to the huge shovel that scrapes the oil sands from the black, sandy quarry wall.
These carefully coordinated activities are repeated hundreds of times a day by the workers who are mining and processing Canadian oil sands at this Syncrude facility. As soon as the trucks are loaded, they roll toward the processing facility where the oil sands are used to produce about 350,000 barrels of light, sweet crude oil every day.
6:35 a.m., Ft. McMurray, Alberta -- In just a few minutes, I'll leave this hotel room to join today's tour to ConocoPhillips' Surmont oil sands facility. But before I go, here are a few observations about the oil sands deposits here in Alberta.
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new petroleum market "price manipulation" rule that could lead to a less competitive market--hurting American consumers of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products. Furthermore, it could discourage companies from providing information to the marketplace.
Occasionally, I'm offered the opportunity to visit oil and natural gas field operations at various places around the Northern Hemisphere. This week I'll be traveling to Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada, to see how oil sands are converted into crude oil.
As the Senate Finance Committee continues its series of hearings on climate change, it is encouraging that senators are considering issues related to the distribution of free allowances under a cap-and-trade system.
Senators should understand that copying the ill-conceived House approach will not contribute to a comprehensive energy policy that creates jobs, grows the economy and addresses climate change. The House approach places a disproportionate burden on all consumers of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, propane and other petroleum products.
In this week's episode, I talk with Al Mannato, fuels issues manager at API, about how the oil and natural gas industry plans to continue supplying fuels to the United States in the aftermath of hurricanes.
There's no doubt about it--the air is much cleaner today than it was a few years ago. The City of Los Angeles is no longer engulfed in a brown haze; the air in the Ohio Valley now has a crisp, clean smell; and Milwaukee residents are breathing easier than ever before.
Yet, the perception lingers that the air is dirty and is becoming increasingly unhealthful. So, let's set the record straight using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) own air quality monitoring numbers.
Why would the United States Congress snub its nose at our neighbors to the north? It's a very good question, and one that leaves us scratching our heads. Please allow me to explain.
Recently the U.S. Senate took up the defense appropriations bill, which gave it the opportunity to correct the flaws in Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This act contains language that could prohibit federal agencies from procuring fuel from U.S. refiners that use Canadian oil sands-derived crude oil as their feedstock.
Jack Gerard
Jane Van Ryan
