Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is negatively engaged on US climate policy at the national and state level. CEA is actively opposed to specific climate policies and measures to transition the energy mix.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: CEA demonstrates some positive top-line positions on climate change, along with ambiguous positions on some issues. CEA appeared to support the goals of the Paris Agreement in an August 2022 blog post. The group referenced the net-zero goal in a February 2023 blog post, however it is unclear if CEA supports a 2050 economy-wide net-zero goal as recommended by the IPCC. The group’s position on the need for climate policy is unclear. While CEA references policy to reduce emissions on the website, accessed in April 2024, it is unclear if it supports stringent climate regulations.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: CEA has opposed multiple strands of climate policy in the US. In January 2022, CEA’s comments opposed the EPA methane regulation for the oil and gas sector. In May 2022, CEA’s comments supported the NOX regulations in the EPA heavy-duty engine standards, without offering a clear position on the GHG emissions provisions in the regulations. In June 2023, CEA released a report titled “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in Automotive Marketplace” that advocated against the EPA’s emissions standards for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, claiming that the benefits of EV transition would “shift from working class to wealthy.”
Positioning on Energy Transition: Consumer Energy Alliance advocates for policy measures to sustain a high GHG emissions energy mix. CEA often advocates for new fossil fuel projects: in June 2023, the group advocated for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a fossil fuel project extension, and in October 2023, it advocated in support of an LNG export project to the federal government. In September 2023, Nexus Media News reported that CEA submitted “fake letters” on behalf of individuals supporting fracking in Ohio.
CEA also opposes to policies to decarbonize the economy. In April 2024, a press release opposed the phase-out of light-duty ICE vehicles under the EPA’s tailpipe emissions standards. The group’s comment on the Section 45V Hydrogen Tax Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act opposed measures to ensure clean hydrogen production by advocating against the stringency of the requirements for credit eligibility. CEA actively promotes the need for carbon capture and storage (CCS), often portraying it as a key solution to decarbonize fossil fuel sector. For instance, a blog post in December 2022 supported using CCS in enhanced oil recovery, while appearing support this as a long-term measure to continue oil use.
The group appears to offer some support for clean energy technologies: for example, its website as of April 2024 suggests support for an increased proportion of wind energy in the energy mix.