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{{#Badges: Front groups|CoalSwarm}}{{Navbar-cleancoalMoved to GEM}}'''American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity''' is a coal industry front group formed by merging [[Americans for Balanced Energy Choices]] (ABEC) and the [[Center for Energy and Economic Development]] (CEED). A press release from ACCCE on April 17, 2008 announced "More than 40 leading U.S. companies from the electricity generation, transportation, coal production, energy technology, and equipment manufacturing industries have aligned to create the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). ... ACCCE believes that the use of coal, America’s most abundant energy resource, is essential to providing affordable, reliable electricity for millions of American consumers and a growing domestic economy. ACCCE also supports enhanced public and private sector efforts to develop and deploy new, advanced clean coal technologies that protect and improve the environment. The formation of ACCCE results from a consolidation of the [[Center for Energy and Economic Development]] (CEED) and [[Americans for Balanced Energy Choices]] (ABEC).<ref>[http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080417006084&newsLang=en "New Multi-Industry Coalition Aligns to Advocate Energy Security and Environmental Stewardship"], Media Release, April 17, 2008.</ref> ==The front group previously known as ABEC==Formed in 2000 to develop [[astroturf]] support for coal-based electricity, '''Americans for Balanced Energy Choices''' (ABEC) promotes the interests of mining companies, coal transporters, and electricity producers. A domain name search reveals that ABEC's website is registered to the coal industry trade organization [[Center for Energy and Economic Development]]. (ABEC originally used the www.balancedenergy.org domain but later switched to a website titled ''America's Power''). From ABEC's website: "Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) is a national, non-profit organization designed to promote a dialogue with community leaders across the U.S. on issues involving America's growing demand for electricity. ABEC will advocate in support of policies that strike the proper balance between protecting the environment and providing for continued economic growth and prosperity for America's working families. "Because they recognize the essential role that electricity from coal plays in protecting the environment while providing over half of the electricity used each day in the U.S., America's coal-based electricity industry (producers, transporters, and electricity generators) have provided the primary initial funding for this worthwhile project." <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040830085248/http://www.balancedenergy.org/about_abec.asp "About ABEC"], archived version dated August 30, 2004.</ref> ==Activities== ABEC's promotion of coal-generated electricity ignores or downplays concerns about current industry emission levels and their links to health and environmental concerns. Outreach by ABEC has included program underwriting on [[National Public Radio]] in the spring of 2002 promoting coal as America's energy source of the future. <ref>Laura Miller, "[http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2003Q4/disinfopedia.What is the 'Disinfopedia'?]," ''PR Watch'', Fourth Quarter 2003.</ref> ABEC also produced a short subject video that played on United Airlines flights. According to ABEC, the video "discusses coal's role in providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean electricity for American homes, schools, and businesses." ===Clean coal ads=== According to [http://www.appcpenn.org/issueads/home.htm Issue Ads @ APPC], ABEC sponsored three TV ads that ran a total of 845 times in Washington, D.C. in 2002. "One ad stated that Americans 'are learning that advancements in clean coal technologies are effectively making our environment cleaner.' According to a second ad, 'electricity from coal is an increasingly clean source of energy.' The ad said that according to the [[U.S. Department of Energy]], 'new coal-based power plants built beginning in about 2020 may well use technologies that are so advanced that they'll be virtually pollution-free.' Another ad, which aired in 2001 as well as 2002, stated that over 50% of the American energy supply comes from coal. The ad advocated coal power as a principal energy supply, noting that $50 billion was invested in creating technologies that make coal power cleaner and safe for the environment." In 2001, ABEC ran one TV ad a total of 940 times in Washington, D.C. "The ad, which also appeared in 2002, stated that over 50% of the American energy supply comes from coal. The ad advocated coal power as a principal energy supply, noting that $50 billion was invested in creating technologies that make coal power cleaner and safe for the environment.<ref>"[http://web.archive.org/web/20040818214327/www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/issueads/organizations/americans_for_balanced_energy_choices.htm "Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC)"], ''Welcome to IssueAds@APPC'', June 24, 2003.</ref> ===2008 presidential campaign outreach===In September 2007, ABEC released "requests for proposal," seeking public relations help "in targeting the public, politicians, interest groups, and the media" on the national level, and also in Pennsylvania and Nevada. In the proposals, ABEC stated "[http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0926nevada_abec.DOC Nevada (DOC)] is perhaps one of the most volatile states in the west regions for ABEC's industry," so its PR work in the state includes [[issues management]], as well as presidential candidate outreach and identifying "cities and communities critical to helping shape policy at the grassroots level." ABEC's [http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0926penn_abec.DOC Pennsylvania (DOC)] PR campaign is less intense, involving "regulatory / legislative communications," "grassroots assistance," and various types of media outreach. <ref name="ODwyers">"[http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/archived_stories_2007/september/0926coal_abec.htm Coal Group Seeks PR Firms]," ''O'Dwyer's PR Daily'' (sub req'd), September 26, 2007.</ref> The ''National Journal'' reported that ABEC's budget for PR, advertising and "[[Astroturf|grassroots]]" organizing quadrupled, from $8 million to $30 million a year, from 2007 to 2008. "Two words sum up why" the coal industry and its allies "opened their checkbooks," wrote the ''Journal'' -- "[[global warming]]." <ref name="ODwyers"/> In 2007, ABEC advertised during the CNN/YouTube Republican presidential candidate debates. In January 2008, the ''Washington Post'' reported that ABEC "is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change." As of mid-January, ABEC had spent $1.3 million on ads in Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina. The ads talked about "clean coal" and "70 percent cleaner" coal plants, though those reductions have been mostly in non-greenhouse gases. <Ref name="WaPoNMA">Steven Mufson, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011702837.html Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign]," ''Washington Post'', January 18, 2008.</ref> ABEC also deployed staffers to the January 15, 2008, Democratic candidates' debate. "About 50 people, many of them paid, walked around as human billboards and handed out leaflets outside Tuesday's Democratic debate in Nevada with questions for voters to ask the candidates," reported the ''Washington Post''. <Ref name="WaPoNMA"/> In August 2008, the group, now ACCCE, planned to spend $2 million at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions promoting "clean coal" as the nation's energy solution. The Center for Public Integrity found that ACCCE spent $4.7 million on lobbying and efforts in the first six months of 2008 - more than any other organization devoted solely to influencing climate change legislation, and more than five times the amount spent by either the leading wind or solar industry groups.<ref>[http://www.publicintegrity.org/blog/entry/686/ "Big Coal's Big-Time Lobby"], Matthew Lewis, Center for Public Integrity, August 25, 2008.</ref> ==Leaked memo on coal marketing strategies==In January 2009, a 2004 leaked memo to then Peabody CEO Irl F. Engelhardt from Steve Miller, who was President of the Center for Energy and Economic Development (now called [[American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity]]), detailed the public relations and lobbying strategies being used to counteract issues including climate change, mercury, plant development, and EPA rulings. Miller details methods used to "sow discord" among regions seeking to limit greenhouse gas emissions.<ref name="pdf">[http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Coal%20Industry%20Strategy%20Letter%20To%20CEO%20of%20Peabody%20Energy.pdf Coal Industry Strategy Letter To CEO of Peabody Energy], desmogblog.com, June 18, 2004.</ref><ref name="grandia">Kevin Grandia, [http://www.desmogblog.com/leaked-clean-coal-strategy-memo-peabody-energy "Leaked Clean Coal Strategy Memo to Peabody Energy,"] desmogblog.com, January 16, 2009.</ref> Other strategies revealed in the memo include:<ref name="pdf"/><ref name="grandia"/>*'''On climate change:''' "In the climate change arena, CEED focuses on three areas: opposing government-mandated controls of greenhouse gases (GHG), opposing 'regulation by litigation', and supporting sequestration and technology as the proper vehicles for addressing any reasonable concerns about greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere."*'''More on climate change:''' "Our belief is that, on climate change like other issues, you must be for something rather than against everything. The combination of carbon sequestration and technology is what we preach and we are looking for more members in the choir."*'''On regional cap and trade programs:''' "More than a year ago, New York Governor Pataki proposed an eleven-state regional CO<sub>2</sub> cap and trade program. CEED has been engaged in this effort from its beginning. Persuading Pennsylvania and Maryland (as major coal-consuming states) to stay on the sidelines, rather than signing onto this initiative, has been one element of our strategy. The other element is to pose voluntary sequestration and technology as the correct policy, rather than mandatory controls."*'''On mercury:''' "Our strategy in dealing with mercury has been two-fold: prevent states from taking precipitous or unwarranted action to regulate mercury and engage in the federal rulemaking to protect the interests of coal-based electricity."*'''More on mercury:''' "In 2003, the Quicksilver Caucus with ECOS [Environmental Council of States] tried to pass a resolution calling for the "virtual elimination" of mercury. CEED worked in a coalition with other organizations and companies to convince many states that the Quicksilver strategy was not the right approach and the "virtual elimination" verbiage failed."*'''On proposed CO<sub>2</sub> regulation by the EPA:''' "About a dozen states sued the EPA last year alleging that the agency must regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act. CEED was the lead organization for outreach to the vast majority of state attorneys general who intervened on the Bush Administration's side in new litigation designed to force CO2 regulation under the Clean Air Act." ==PR and lobbying== According to the 2001 "O'Dwyer's Directory of Public Relations Firms," ABEC is listed as a client of the Denver-based [[MGA Communications]]. In its agency statement, MGA Communications specializes in "communications planning involving community involvement and education, sitings and compliance issues, public-private partnerships, 'green' product marketing, dispute resolution and crisis communications, media relations, primary research and marketing communications. MGA also has a substantial technology marketing and corporate reputation practice." <ref>Jack O'Dwyer, editor, "O'Dwyer's Directory of Public Relations Firms," J.R. O'Dwyer Co., 2001 - page 167. (No link available.)</ref> ABEC's president Stephen Miller is a registered lobbyists for ABEC on energy and environmental issues, according to Lobbyist.info. CEED and the [[Willard Group]] have also lobbied on behalf of ABEC. In September 2008 ''O'Dwyers PR Daily'' reported that ACCCE "is a client of Las Vegas-based [[R&R Partners]].<ref>[http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0925cleancoal.html "New Name For Coal Group; Gore Raps Coal"], O'Dwyer's PR Daily'', September 25, 2008. (Sub req'd).</ref> ==NRDC parody of America's Power website== In 2008, the environmental group [[NRDC]] created a website, [http://www.americascoalpower.org/ COAL POWER: Warming America, Warming the Planet], parodying the "America's Power" campaign sponsored by ABEC, the predecessor to ACCCE. The parody website (which is clearly labelled as a project of NRDC), mimics the America's Power website design. It is sponsored by an organization called "Americans for Burning Every Chunk of Coal" (ABECC). On the site are "facts," an "ask the experts" section, and "news." ==Membership== Membership in ACCCE is heavily weighted toward coal mining and transportation companies; i.e., enterprises that are heavily wedded to coal. [[Rural Electric Cooperatives and Coal|Rural electric cooperatives]], among the heaviest users of coal in the utility sector, are also well represented. In contrast, investor-owned electric utilities are fairly lightly represented, a reflection of the fact that most electric utilites are no longer seeking to build new coal-fired power plants. As of May, 2008, the following organizations were members in ACCCE:<ref>[http://www.americaspower.org/Who-We-Are/ACCCE-Members America's Power,]] accessed May 4, 2008</ref> ===Coal mining and mining services===*[[Alcoa|ALCOA]] *[[Alliance Coal]],*[[Arch Coal]]*[[Berwind Natural Resources Corporation]] (coal leasing)*[[BHP Billiton]]*[[Buckeye Industrial Mining Company]]*[[Caterpillar]] (mining equipment)*[[CONSOL Energy]]*[[Drummond Company]]*[[Foundation Coal]]*[[Jennmar Corporation]] (mining services)*[[Joy Global Mining]]*[[Murray Energy Corporation]]*[[Natural Resource Partners L.P.]]*[[Peabody Energy]]*[[Western Fuels Association]] ===Independent power producers===*[[Midwest Generation]]===Investor-owned utilities===*[[Allegheny Energy]]*[[Ameren Corporation]] (also independent power production)*[[American Electric Power]]*[[DTE Energy]] (Detroit Edison)*[[Duke Energy]]*[[E.ON U.S.]]*[[First Energy Corporation]]*[[Luminant]]*[[Mirant Corporation]]*[[Progress Energy]],*[[Southern Company]] ===Rural electrics===*[[Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation]]*[[Associated Electric Cooperative]], Inc.*[[Basin Electric Power Cooperative]]*[[Buckeye Power]],*[[Oglethorpe Power Corporation]]*[[Seminole Electric Cooperative]]*[[Sunflower Electric Power Corporation]]*[[Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association]]*[[Western Farmers Electric Cooperative]] ===Transportation===*[[BNSF Railway]]*[[CSX Corporation]]*[[Express Marine]],*[[Freightcar America]] (rail car manufacturing)*[[Norfolk Southern]]*[[Union Pacific Railroad]] ==Personnel==*[[Steve Miller (ACCCE)|Steve Miller]] - President and CEO <ref>"[http://www.americaspower.org/Who-We-Are/ Who we are]" America's Power website, accessed February 2009.</ref>*[[Steve Gates]] - Senior Communications Director <ref name="ACCCEcontact">"[http://www.cleancoalusa.org/docs/contact/ Contact ACCCE]" ACCCE website, accessed February 2009.</ref>*[[Cathy Coffey]] - Northeast Region Communications Director <ref name="ACCCEcontact"/>*[[Leah Arnold]] - South Region Communications Director <ref name="ACCCEcontact"/>*[[Cullen West]] - Midwest Communications Director <ref name="ACCCEcontact"/>*[[Brad Jones]] - Western Region Communications Director <ref name="ACCCEcontact"/>*[[Paul Bailey]] - Senior Vice President for Federal Affairs (head lobbyist) <ref>Press release, "[http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-05-2009/0004967181&EDATE= ACCCE Names Paul Bailey Senior Vice President for Federal Affairs]," ACCCE via PR Newswire, February 5, 2009.</ref> ==Contact information=='''American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity'''Website http://www.cleancoalusa.org/<br>Phone: 703-684-6292<br> Address333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 530<br>Alexandria, Virginia 22314<br> Individual contactSteve Gates, Senior Communications Director<br>Email: SGates AT cleancoalusa.org<br>Phone: 703-302-1223 (direct), (703) 684-7473 (national office)<br> Americans for Balanced Energy Choices<br>P.O. Box 1638<br>Alexandria, Virginia 22313<br>Phone: 1-877-358-6699<br>Web: http://www.americaspower.org ==Articles and resources== ===Related SourceWatch articles===*[[America's Power]]*[[Americans for Balanced Energy Choices]]*[[Audio news releases]]*[[Clean Coal]]*[[Clean Coal Marketing Campaign]]*[[Clean Coal Technology]]*[[Fake news]]*[[Mining industry]]*[[National Mining Association]] ===References===<references/> ===External resources===*[http://stopgreenwash.org/casestudy_abec Greenpeace campaign against Greenwashing Dirty Coal] ===External articles===*[http://web.archive.org/web/20010716211832/http://www.ems.org/mercury/power_plants.html Mercury Releases from Power Plants], ''Environmental Media Services'', June 28, 2001*[http://www.earthdayresources.org/greenwasher/october2001.html Americans for Balanced Energy Choices], Earthdayresource.org*Rebecca Stanfield, [http://www.cleanairnow.org/cleanairnow.asp?id2=6275 Darkening Skies: Trends Toward Increasing Power Plant Emissions], U.S. PIRG Education Fund for Clear the Air, the National Campaign Against Dirty Power, April 4, 2002.*[http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-03-14-mercury-epa_x.htm EPA issuing rules on power plant mercury], USA Today, March 14, 2005.* Rainforest Action Network, [http://ran.org/media_center/news_article/?uid=2284 "Rainforest Action Network to Wall Street: No New Coal"], Media Release, February 25, 2007. (Also via the Business Ethics Network website [http://www.businessethicsnetwork.org/article.php?list=type&type=25 here]).* David Roberts, [http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/12/19/95525/953 "'Even Santa is rethinking his position on coal!': Coal industry kicks off a PR campaign aimed at influencing lawmakers"], ''Gristmill'', December 19, 2007.* Matthew Brown and Matt Gouras (Associated Press), "[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-coal-politics,1,636357.story?ctrack=3&cset=true Amid Election, Coal Takes the Offensive]," ''Los Angeles Times'', February 27, 2008.*Jim Snyder, "[http://thehill.com/business--lobby/coal-out-in-force-at-green-convention-2008-08-26.html Coal out in force at green convention]," ''The Hill'', August 26, 2008.*"[http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0925cleancoal.html New Name for Coal Group; Gore Raps Coal]," ''O'Dwyer's PR Daily'' (sub req'd), September 25, 2008.*Press release, "[http://www.americaspower.org/News/Press-Room/Press-Releases/New-Ad-Campaign-Distorts-the-Reality-of-Clean-Coal-Technology New Ad Campaign Distorts the Reality of Clean Coal Technology]," American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, December 4, 2008.*John Byrne, "[http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Coal_industry_takes_down_Clean_Coal_1212.html Coal industry scrubs 'Clean Coal Carolers' after Raw Story, subsequent reports]," ''The Raw Story'', December 12, 2008.*Daniel J. Weiss, Nick Kong, Sam Schiller, Alexandra Kougentakis, "[http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/12/clean_coal.html The Clean Coal Smoke Screen]," [[Center for America Progress]], December 22, 2008.* David Roberts, "[http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/12/22/151612/34 The essential 'clean coal' scam: Politico lets shill get away with the basic dodge at the center of the 'clean coal' campaign]," Gristmill blog, December 23, 2008. [[Category:Fake News]][[Category:Front groups]][[Category:United States]][[Category:Greenwashing]][[Category:Climate change]][[Category:Coal lobby]]
