Washington (Platts)--16Jan2008

Officials with the oil, electricity, and natural gas sectors Wednesday
said they need to do a better job of educating the public on the links between
energy security and climate change.

American Gas Association President and CEO David Parker suggested that by
failing to tell its side of the story, the energy industry is allowing
environmental concerns to take center stage in the global warming debate.

"I really think that polar bear habitat is going to drive this debate" if
industry doesn't do a better job of getting its message out, Parker said in
remarks to the US Energy Association's annual State of the Energy Industry
meeting in Washington. "We all have a big education job to do and I think we
need to do it collectively."

Parker was joined by Red Cavaney, President and CEO of the American
Petroleum Institute, and Tom Kuhn, President and CEO of the Edison Electric
Institute.

Kuhn said industry leaders realize they have done a poor job of
communicating how expensive a strict greenhouse gas emission cap will be and
how it will affect which fuels get used throughout the economy. He said a lot
of his industry's education efforts will be focused on Congress, which is
expected to consider climate change legislation this year. "Each organization
has its own message to get out there and I think they're complementary," he
said.

All three reiterated opposition to a climate change bill moving through
the Senate. The bill, introduced by Republican John Warner of Virginia and
Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, will cut greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050 to 70% belowthe 2005 level.

"We're very concerned about climate change legislation rushing to
passage," Parker said.

Parker said leadership from the White House is critical and that his
group was "not successful" in its efforts to get the Bush administration to
talk about the climate and energy link. "It's got to be a national effort," he
said.

Cavaney added that no energy source--whether coal, natural gas, oil,
nuclear, or renewables--should be excluded and warned that a strict emissions
cap would limit options as long there is no economical way to reduce emissions
through technology. "Understand that we need it all and let's not take things
off the table," he said.

--Alexander Duncan, alexander_duncan@platts.com