Democrat kow-towing to Eco-communism harms American citizens

When your home heating prices go sky high this winter, thank a Democrat for putting campaign contributions from environmentalists above the needs of their constituents. Then kick yourself if you voted for one.

Study Predicts Winter Heating Prices To Skyrocket For Consumers

Environmental Groups Are Purposely Forcing Prices Higher, AAE Says

Denver, CO (Oct. 8, 2008) -– A new national study that predicts winter home heating prices will jump 10-30 percent illustrates how consumers will be harmed by the efforts of environmental groups to block natural gas production as well as new power plants and power lines, according to Americans for American Energy.

"Consumers will soon start reaping the bitter harvest of environmental lobbying which seeks to hobble America's ability to produce the energy that consumers need," said Greg Schnacke, President and CEO of Americans for American Energy, a non-profit grassroots groups that promotes greater production of all forms of domestic energy. "The cruel truth is that these extremist groups actually want prices to skyrocket, so they can inflict price pain on consumers and force them to consumer less and adopt a lower standard of living."

"Low-income families are going to be hurt the most since, as prices rise, they have to devote a higher percentage of their income to pay for energy costs. Civil rights groups are calling this an immoral 'war on the poor' by these environmental groups, and I agree," he added.

The home heating price study, done by the American Gas Association (see this http://www.aga.org/Newsroom/news+releases/2008/NaturalGasUtilitiesWinter.htm), reported that utilities have had to purchase their winter natural gas supplies this summer when prices were at their peak due to the increasing use of natural gas for residential cooling. Utilities also have had to turn to new natural gas-fired plants to meet soaring energy demand, in part because they are easier to permit than coal-fired plants. New natural gas plants are also the back-up source of power for renewable energy like wind and solar, whose intermittent characteristics need the reliable capability gas-fired turbines add to their ability to dispatch a consistent source of electricity into the electrical grid.

Schnacke said that the strategy of environmental groups has been to force the nation’s electric utilities to abandon or delay the construction of coal-fired power plants across the nation and turn to natural gas power as a replacement. But the same environmental groups also work to block natural gas drilling on millions of acres federal lands, which translates into higher home heating and commercial energy costs.

“While they stop affordable coal-fired power plants they also block production of the natural gas needed to fuel gas power plants. These groups know what they are doing. They are forcing higher energy prices because they have a larger social agenda for a weaker America that can’t grow economically by fully utilizing its abundant natural resources,” said Schnacke.

The AGA study appears to confirm this, Schnacke said, as it predicts that consumer prices might stabilize from lower demand caused by a slower economy and less consumer spending.

But Schnacke noted that a fundamental shift has occurred to significant utilization of natural gas year-round for electrical power. "This has changed the price structure for natural gas permanently. Coupled with the systematic opposition by environmental groups to stop supply development projects, this situation won’t change anytime soon," he said.

“What we need is a healthy energy production industry here in America that is not artificially inhibited by the agenda-driven environmental elites,” said Schnacke. “We must be allowed to meet our nation’s energy demand for new power by utilizing all sources of energy such as clean coal technology and new natural gas development that encourages new renewable energy development.”

Americans for American Energy