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Energy Citizens

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This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

This article is part of the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch, a project of CoalSwarm and the Center for Media and Democracy.

Energy Citizens is a front group backed by the American Petroleum Institute, the main trade group and lobbying arm of the oil industry, to fight climate change legislation currently working its way through Congress.[1] The official website describes the group as a "nationwide alliance of organizations and individuals formed to bring together people across America to remind Congress that energy is the backbone of our nation’s economy and our way of life."[2] A look at the participating organizations, however, shows a long list of oil, coal, and transportation interests.[3]

Contents

Protests against climate legislation

In August 2009, Energy Citizens began organizing rallies against the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House by a vote of 219-212 in June.[1] The group describes the bill as "a badly flawed 1,427-page piece of legislation that will drive up the price of energy, deter American job creation and send jobs overseas and bring greater stress to a still struggling economy." Instead, its members "support policies that promote jobs and affordable energy for American consumers and businesses."[4]

Hundreds of people attended its first rally in Houston. However, most were oil company employees, who were bused in at lunch time from their nearby offices. According to the New York Times, the protest was "as much a celebration of oil’s traditional role in the Texas way of life as it was a political protest against Washington’s energy policies."[1] Rally fliers warned, "Climate change legislation being considered in Washington will cause huge economic pain and produce little environmental gain." The fliers also claim that the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill would "cost 2 million American jobs, raise gasoline and diesel prices up to $4." In contrast, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the bill would cost U.S. households "about a postage stamp a day," while the Energy Information Administration projects that annual "energy bill costs could rise between $26 per household to to $362 by 2020."[5]

The rally was the first of about 20 the group is planning for Southern and oil-producing states to try to promote resistance to the new legislation.[1] The rallies are planned during during August, targeting states "whose Democratic Senators aren't strong supporters of a stringent bill, such as ... Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Mark Begich of Alaska."[5]

Greenpeace obtained an email from API head Jack Gerard to members and allied companies. In it, Gerard urges "all API members to get involved," especially by making a "commitment to provide significant attendance" to API-organized "Energy Citizen" rallies. "API will provide the up-front resources," Gerard stresses, including by "contracting with a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups." Gerard also boasts that "our messages on Waxman-Markey-like legislation work extremely well" in opinion polls. API's messages are discredited claims that the bill will cause energy prices to soar and "lead to significant job losses." API's rally plans have underscored divisions within the oil industry. API members Shell and BP "are also members of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which has supported a 'cap and trade' approach," notes the Washington Post. "Spokesmen for both companies said yesterday they would not participate in the 'Energy Citizen' rallies."[6]

Member Organizations

The following is a partial list of participating trade and industry organizations. The full list is available here.

Contact Information

Web: http://www.energycitizens.org/
Email: Info@energycitizens.org

Resources

  • Jack Gerard, "Dear API Member Company CEO/Executive" Email to American Petroleum Institute members, August 2009. (The memo is appended to a letter from the Executive Director of Greenpeace US, Phil Radford, to Jack Gerard.)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Clifford Krauss and Jad Mouawad,"Oil Industry Backs Protests of Emissions Bill," New York Times, August 18, 2009.
  2. ↑ "About Energy Citizens," Energy Citizens, accessed August 2009.
  3. ↑ "Participating Organizations," Energy Citizens, accessed August 2009.
  4. ↑ "The Climate Bill," Energy Citizens, accessed August 2009.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ian Talley, "Lobby Groups to Use Town Hall Tactics to Oppose Climate Bill", "Washington Wire" (Wall Street Journal Blog), August 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ David A. Fahrenthold, "Oil Group's 'Citizen' Rally Memo Stirs Debate: Firms Asked to Recruit Employees, Retirees", Washington Post, August 16, 2009.

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