US consumer, environmentalist, producer groups form coalition

Washington (Platts)--15Dec2006

Calling itself a "coalition of coalitions," the leaders of the Energy
Initiative Coalition Friday pledged to present Congress with energy policy
proposals that will reflect the points of view of producers, consumers and
environmentalists.

"We've never had one group representing all these organizations before,"
said former Senator John Breaux, the coalition's co-chair. He said he hoped
they could present Congress with a package of proposals by mid-2007.

Breaux said Congress would look more favorably upon proposals made by
such a coalition as opposed ideas presented by each pressure group. He also
said all energy related issues "are on the table."

Beverly O'Neill, co-chair and former mayor of Long Beach, California,
said the 31 members of the coalition represent "millions of people." Among the
member groups is the Apollo Alliance, American Petroleum Institute and
Independent Petroleum Association of America.

Jerome Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, said his organization is
a coalition of environmental organizations, labor unions and civil rights
organizations.

"We are committed to clean energy and good jobs," he said. To achieve
that goal, "we need to unite people, to march forward and bring people
together from the right and left, business and labor, consumer groups and the
American farmer."

API President and CEO Cavaney said the group was concerned by the lack of
understanding in general among the general public. "We are hopeful that by
working with coalitions such as this, we can learn and help educate others,"
he said. As more people learn about the issues, "the better off we are going
to be and better public policy prescriptions we can make to elected
officials."

Don Santa, president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of
America, said all too often the public and elected officials lapse into a
not-in-my-backyard mentality when specific energy related projects are
proposed.

"There really is a need to get beyond the parochialism and to get into a
serious, balanced dialog about energy and the choices that not only need to be
made in Washington but at the state and local level, too," he added.

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