US LNG Exports Raise Electricity Bills, Gas Prices and Emissions, DOE Report Concludes
Robert Walton, Utility Dive (December 18, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America said they agreed with DOE’s findings, including that between 2020 and 2050 overall energy costs for the industrial sector will go up $125 billion and lead to inflationary impacts.”
DOE Study Leaves Path for Trump to Ramp Up LNG Exports
Brian Dabbs and Carlos Anchondo, E&E (December 18, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, president of the trade association Industry Energy Consumers of America, said the exports would leave U.S. consumers ‘completely exposed.'”
Industry Confronts DOE LNG Study, Braces for Further Project Hurdles Even as Trump’s Second Term Nears
Jacob Dick and Jamison Cocklin, Natural Gas Intelligence (December 18, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, who leads the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, which has been a vocal opponent of increasing LNG exports, agreed with the DOE’s economic assessment.”
Exporting More US Gas Not Sustainable, Federal LNG Study Shows
Halle Parker, New Orleans Public Radio (December 18, 2024)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America President Paul N. Cicio said the lack of limits on how much LNG can be exported means ‘consumers are completely exposed.'”
DOE Warns About Further Increase of US LNG Exports
John Cropley, RTO Insider (December 17, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America agreed with the economic conclusions.”
Could Rising Natural Gas Prices Derail Trump’s Energy Agenda?
Brian Dabbs, E&E (December 12, 2024)
“‘We expect prices to rise substantially,’ said Paul Cicio, president of the trade association Industrial Energy Consumers of America. ‘It’s inflationary on all the products we produce, from consumer goods to industrial goods and national defense goods.'”
States See Bigger Role in Long-Term Electric Power Planning
Alexis Waiss, Bloomberg (December 2, 2024)
“The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition also cites Federal Power Act in its concerns over the rule. Paul Cicio, chair of the coalition, said Order 1920-A allows monopoly utilities to increase the costs ratepayers will have to cover for transmission projects.”
EQT’s ‘Bulldog’ Has D.C. in his Grip, With Profits — and Maybe Higher Gas Bills — on the Horizon
Quinn Glabicki, Public Source (November 25, 2024)
“In June, Industrial Energy Consumers of America [IECA] sent a letter to Manchin and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, urging against ‘carte blanche approvals of all LNG export requests.’ That, the nonpartisan trade group said, would be detrimental to American manufacturing.”
Electricity Prices Soar as Agency Fails to Enforce Competition
Van Charles, Newsmax (October 30, 2024)
“Electricity consumers are paying billions more than necessary because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission isn’t enforcing its own rules.”
Daily on Energy: Electricity prices up, Exxon moves on carbon capture, and Scott versus Mucarsel-Powell
Maydeen Merino and Callie Patteson, Washington Examiner (October 10, 2024)
“‘Electricity price inflation is a policy failure – not a market failure,’ chair Paul Cicio said. ‘Electricity prices will continue to escalate due to tens of billions of dollars being spent on electricity transmission projects that are not competitively bid, a policy that monopoly utilities oppose to increase their profits. Without competition, utilities do not have an incentive to reduce transmission costs. Competitively bid projects routinely reduce costs by 25-30 percent.'”
3 Questions Answered About Biden’s LNG Pause
Carlos Anchondo, E&E (September 17, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, said he believes DOE’s analyses are going to show that further approvals of LNG export applications to non-FTA countries aren’t in the public interest. Cicio said his group, which promotes the interests of manufacturing companies, thinks the analyses will show that increased exports ‘elevate the risk’ of substantial impacts to U.S. natural gas and electricity prices when inventories are low.”
Inflation Drives Up Electricity Prices—Group Says the Fix is Simple
OK Energy Today (September 12, 2024)
“‘In this election, we urge both candidates to focus on the real reason that electricity prices continue to outpace overall inflation, expensive transmission project costs that are not competitively bid,’ said Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition.”
Rising Utility Costs Complicate California’s Minimum Wage Debate
Evrim Ağacı, The Pinnacle Gazette (August 16, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, referred to these statistics as ‘siren’ calls for action, indicating the urgency for change within the system. It’s clear many consumers are getting squeezed, as various regions grapple with skyrocketing utility bills.”
Surging Electricity Costs Pose Another Financial Threat to American Households
Megan Henney, Fox Business (August 15, 2024)
“Prices ‘are going to continue to escalate at a faster and faster pace,’ Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, told FOX Business. Transmission costs are the primary driver of higher power bills, according to Cicio. That’s because rules from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have allowed ‘tens of billions of dollars’ in large transmission lines each year to be built without requiring that companies bid competitively for the work, which would reduce costs for consumers.”
Electric Bills are Rising Four Times Faster than Groceries
Dieter Holger, Consumer Affairs (August 15, 2024)
“‘The latest electricity inflation numbers aren’t a wake-up call, they’re a siren,’ said Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, an industry group pushing for changes to financial rules in electricity infrastructure.”
Every Day, Americans Pay The High Price For Kamala Harris’ Inflation
Mitch McConnell, Republican Leader (August 15, 2024)
“Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition: ‘Electricity price inflation rose on an annual basis by 4.9%, well in excess of comparable rises in the average American grocery bill of 1.1% as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Electricity price inflation continued to exceed the broader CPI, which increased by 2.9% on an annual basis.'”
Transmission, Reliability Draw Focus as New U.S. FERC Members Come on Board
Maya Weber and Thomas Tiernan, S&P Global (July 25, 2024)
“Separately, with a new lineup at FERC, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and allies have stepped up calls for the commission to police what they view as excessive rates from interstate natural gas pipelines. ‘In past years, FERC would initiate at least three rate cases or more,’ said the group’s president and CEO, Paul Cicio, in a letter to Phillips. ‘In 2023 and so far in 2024, FERC did not initiate a single rate case.'”
U.S. Electricity Prices Surge Amid Grid Strains and Rising Demand
Tsvetana Paraskova, Oilprice.com (July 23, 2024)
“According to the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, ‘the price of electricity continues to increase due to accelerating transmission costs that are not subject to competition.'”
FERC Order 1920 Sees Wide-ranging Rehearing Requests
James Downing, RTO Insider (June 18, 2024)
“The right-sized ROFR did come under fire from the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, the Resale Power Group of Iowa and LS Power Grid. ‘Competition in the transmission planning process for the right to develop and construct new transmission facilities reduces costs to consumers and drives efficiencies in project construction,’ ETCC said. ‘The Competition Coalition supports competition and competitive prices to maintain just and reasonable transmission rates, consistent with Order No. 1000’s pro-competition directives.'”
Consumer Group Says FERC Ignored Competitive Bidding in Recent Electric Grid Order
OK Energy Today (June 12, 2024)
“The ROFR issue remains with us on a national basis and the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition is challenging a recent decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to restrict competition on certain transmission projects.”
FERC Nominees Set for a Quick Floor Vote as Schumer Files Cloture
James Downing, RTO Insider (June 5, 2024)
“‘It is vital that FERC [have] a full suite of commissioners as it goes through the rehearing process on Order 1920 and moves towards implementation,’ Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition Chair Paul Cicio said in a statement.”
Build the Grid Competitively
Paul Cicio, Opinion, Wall Street Journal (May 28, 2024)
“Only about 3% of projects are competitively bid nationwide. Monopoly electric utilities lack an economic incentive to reduce costs. No competition in building transmission lines means higher profits for electric utilities and higher electric rates for the rest of us for decades to come.”
FERC’s Punt of ROFR Issue
OK Energy Today (May 23, 2024)
“E&E News spoke with Paul Cicio, executive director of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition and a man who has been quoted several times here at OK Energy Today as we covered the ROFR issue in Oklahoma. ‘We suspect that utilities will continue to protect their turf,’ he said. ‘This is giving incumbent electric utilities a blank check. Utilities have no incentive to contain costs without competition.'”
Who Gets to Profit From a Bigger Grid? Ask the States.
Jeffrey Tomich, E&E (May 23, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, a Washington lobbyist who has long represented industrial energy consumers, said rising transmission costs have been a growing concern for manufacturers. Others like aluminum smelters absorb huge energy costs. Competition — forcing developers to bid against one another for the right to build projects — is a way to contain those costs, Cicio argues.”
Electricity Rates Keep Rising and FERC’s Actions Didn’t Help Claims National Energy Spokesman
OK Energy Today (May 16, 2024)
“Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said: ‘The inflation data released today confirms what we have been saying to FERC for two years – electricity transmission costs are escalating, and competitive bidding of large transmission projects is the only way to reduce costs for consumers.'”
Reaction to FERC Rules on Transmission Lines
OK Energy Today (May 14, 2024)
“While Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso was highly critical of the rules, saying they would lead to higher consumer costs, the head of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, Paul Cicio reacted differently. ‘We will be evaluating the full text of the FERC rule to determine its full impact on consumers nationwide,’ he said of FERC Rule 1920. ‘While the removal of the Federal Right of First Refusal from the initial proposed rule is welcome, we have deep concerns about the potential impact of the right-sizing ROFR. The Federal Power Act is a consumer protection statute, FERC should keep that in mind as it continues to regulate transmission.'”
Energy Brief: Bloomberg Government
Katrice Eborn and Kellie Lunney (May 8, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America is supporting a bipartisan bill that aims to award refunds to consumers if FERC finds unjustified changes in rates or charges. IECA is refuting attacks that the bill (S. 4171) would hamstring efforts to building new interstate natural gas pipelines. ‘IECA is strongly in support of building new pipeline capacity and would not support this legislation if we thought that it did,'” President Paul N. Cicio said in a statement Tuesday.”
FERC Stands By Transmission Project Cost Recovery Assurance Plan
Shayna Greene, Bloomberg Law (May 6, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America—and other consumers of electric transmission and power services—challenged FERC’s approval of ITC Midwest LLC’s incentive request for the Iowa portion of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator electric transmission project. The petitioners, in their March brief, argued the relevant FERC orders aren’t consistent with the commission’s obligation to protect customers from excessive rates and charges and should be vacated.”
Analysts Update Report on Order 1000’s Impact on Project Costs Ahead of FERC’s Transmission Order
Daily Energy Insider (April 26, 2024)
“However, there is still growing support to uphold Order No. 1000, while working out communication and other issues that have been pointed out with the competitive bidding process, according to the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition. ETCC points to comments in the NOPR docket from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and other state utility commissions in opposition of reinstating the federal ROFRs.”
The Case for Electricity Transmission Competition Has Never Been Clearer with Today’s Inflation
Paul Cicio, Opinion, Utility Dive (April 23, 2024)
“Electricity price inflation rose 5% on an annualized basis, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March CPI data release, 30% higher than the consumer price index. The principal driver is the escalating cost of transmission.”
DOE Launches $8.8B Program to Lower Home Energy Costs Amid Mixed Data on Electricity Inflation
Robert Walton, Utility Dive (April 23, 2024)
“‘EIA’s comparison “sends an incorrect message,’ Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said in an email. ‘The data is clear, electricity prices have risen far in excess of general inflation meaning that utility bills are a significant burden to consumers on a monthly basis.'”
Iowa Legislators Kill Their ROFR Attempts
OK Energy Today (April 23, 2024)
“The Iowa legislature rejected the ROFR measure and Paul Cicio, chairman of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition called it a “victory for Iowa families and businesses.”
FERC Observers, Stakeholders Lay Out What is at Stake with Tx Rule Looming
James Downing, RTO Insider (April 22, 2024)
“FERC has acknowledged that Order 1000 is not working correctly and the policies around ROFRs need to be reformed, he added. The opposite needs to happen, according to Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, made up of firms engaged in competitive transmission development and consumer groups.”
Blumenthal & Hyde-Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Hold Natural Gas Companies Accountable for Overcharges & Refund Consumers
(April 18, 2024)
“Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced legislation to correct unfair and costly rates set by natural gas pipeline companies. The MPACT Act is endorsed by a number of organizations, including the National Gas Supply Association (NGSA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA), American Public Power Association (APPA), Cargill, Inc., Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO), Essential Minerals Association (EMA), Glass Packaging Institute (GPI), Process Gas Consumers Group (PGC), Maine Natural Gas (MNG), and New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG).”
Democratic Bill Mandates FERC Interconnection Reforms to Bring New Resources Online Faster
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (April 18, 2024)
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would be required to issue regulations within 18 months to give generating and storage resources faster and more cost-effective access to the grid under legislation introduced. The legislation is supported by 20 organizations, including the Electricity Consumers Resource Council, Electricity Customer Alliance and Industrial Energy Consumers of America.”
Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Improve Reliability of America’s Electricity Grid, Lower Energy Costs
(April 18, 2024)
“Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Representative Kathy Castor (D-Fla.-14) introduced bicameral legislation to make it easier for new energy projects to connect to the U.S. electricity grid. The legislation is supported by 20 different organizations, including the Electricity Consumers Resource Council (ELCON), Electricity Customer Alliance, Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), and R Street Institute.”
Biden LNG Election Gamble Won Supporters and Angered Critics, but Will it Ultimately Pay Off?
Kevin Killough, Just the News (April 12, 2024)
“‘The fact is that utilizing natural gas in manufacturing, as compared to exporting it, creates eight times more jobs, twice the direct value added per year and 4.5 times the direct construction jobs,’ the IECA argued in the letter, which asked for a moratorium on further LNG export approvals.”
Pro-Competition Group Plans to Sue if FERC Reinstates Federal ROFR
James Downing, RTO Insider (April 8, 2024)
“‘If they proceed to reinstate these two federal ROFRs, then consumers, without question, will take legal action to oppose [them],’ Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) Chair Paul Cicio said in an interview.'”
US Electricity Prices Outpace Annual Inflation
Robert Walton, Utility Dive (March 13, 2024)
“The BLS inflation data released yesterday is ‘especially damning,’ said Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition. While electricity generation costs have fallen due to low natural gas prices, ‘transmission costs continue to accelerate,'” he said.
Electricity Prices Continue to Climb Nationally
OK Energy Today (March 12, 2024)
“The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition charged that the latest inflation data release confirms that electricity prices continue to outpace the Consumer Price Index with electricity prices increasing by 3.6% compared to 3.2% for the CPI over the last 12 months.”
FERC Wrong To Give Iowa Grid Project Perk, DC Circ. Told
Madeline Lyskawa, Law360 (March 7, 2024)
“The consequential case made its way to the Iowa justices after the Iowa Legislature passed a right of first refusal law, enabling only incumbent electric transmission owners to claim rights to federally planned and approved electric transmission lines that connect to a state incumbent’s facilities in June 2020, said the consumers, which include the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and the Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers.”
Electric Power Consumers Challenge FERC Rate Increase Orders
Shayna Greene, Bloomberg (March 6, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America and others are asking a federal appeals court to strike down the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of an interstate transmission company’s request to increase its rates.”
Industrial Energy Consumers Challenge FERC Approval of Rate Hike by ITC Midwest
Hadeel Hashem, BNN (March 6, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America challenges FERC’s decision on rate increases. A pivotal case that could reshape energy regulation and consumer costs.”
Lobbying Clash Intensifies Over Utilities’ Right to Build Grid
Daniel Moore, Bloomberg (March 4, 2024)
“New Jersey customers will save $900 million after the state commission competitively selected a transmission project to help connect offshore wind, according to the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition. Maine customers saved more than $1 billion after that state competitively selected two projects, it found.”
Biden Names 3 Nominees to Give FERC 5 Members Again
James Downing, RTO Insider (February 29, 2024)
“The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition also said it wants to see a full complement of five commissioners.”
Critics Warn Bill Will Hike Electricity Rates
Ray Carter, OCPA (February 28, 2024)
“The group’s members describe HB 4097 as a ‘build to transfer’ law and say it effectively discourages competitive bidding in the transmission market since incumbent utilities still have effective control, which critics say will ultimately boost the costs imposed on Oklahoma consumers.”
Xcel Energy’s $2 Billion Power Pathway Project in Eastern Colorado Under Fire
Scott Weiser, The Denver Gazette (February 22, 2024)
“‘This is an important consumer complaint as it raises the serious question of utilities grossly misaligning cost allocation for billions of dollars related to a transmission project — all in order to avoid a strong regional planning process and competition,’ said Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, which advocates for free-market competition in power line construction.”
Granholm Fleshes Out Views of LNG Pause
Brian Dabbs, E&E (February 22, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, an industry group, says gas exports spike domestic prices.”
Illinois Utilities Pushing to Control Power Line Construction While Others Warn of a Monopoly
Kevin Bessler, Washington Examiner (February 21, 2024)
“Southwest Power Pool’s board of directors recently awarded NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest, LLC a new competitively-bid electricity project that the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition said will provide millions in cost savings to families and businesses in New Mexico.”
A Political Battle Brews Over Natural Gas Exports
Anya Litvak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (February 19, 2024)
“The concern that increased LNG exports will raise gas prices in the U.S. has been advanced by consumer advocate groups and large domestic consumers such as the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a D.C.-based trade group that represents U.S. manufacturers.”
Do Gas Exports Help or Hurt American Prices?
Saul Elbein, The Hill (February 17, 2024)
“The buildout in export terminals has forced U.S. consumers into competition with entire countries, said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a diverse trade group of factories and manufacturers united in their demand for cheap domestic gas.”
Consumer Collective Again Asks FERC to Strike ROFR Laws from MISO Planning
Amanda Durish Cook, RTO Insider (February 14, 2024)
“The alliance — which includes the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers and others — said “despite the significant rate impact on consumers, the commission has not ruled on the complaint” (EL22-78).
The Implications of Biden’s Pause on LNG Export Approvals: A Multifaceted Perspective
Anthony Raphael, Medriva (February 13, 2024)
“A broader coalition representing thousands of manufacturers, chemical companies, and consumer advocates has been pushing for the pause, arguing that it would put pressure on domestic markets and result in higher energy costs. The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, representing more than 11,000 manufacturing facilities, has been arguing against LNG exports.”
Will Halt To New LNG Exports Ease U.S. Natural Gas Price Spikes?
Tsvetana Paraskova, Oilprice.com (February 12, 2024)
“According to the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, every $1 per MMBtu increase in the price of natural gas adds $34.2 billion in annual costs to domestic consumers plus the increased cost of electricity.”
U.S. Gas Prices Could Spike 14% Without Biden’s Pause On New LNG Export Terminals
Silvio Marcacci, Contributor, Forbes (February 11, 2024)
“…Manufacturing costs and economic competitiveness will be affected by increased gas prices, which led the Industrial Energy Consumers of America – representing more than 12,000 manufacturing facilities nationwide and more than 1.8 million American employees – to urge DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm to protect U.S. energy consumers from price hikes ‘that come with increased LNG exports.'”
Red States Build Legal Case Against Biden LNG Pause
Pamela King, Carlos Anchondo, Brian Dabbs, E&E (February 7, 2024)
“‘It is ironic that while LNG exports decrease U.S. consumers’ reliability, it gives LNG buying countries guaranteed access and reliability of natural gas under contracts for as long as 20 years,’ the Industrial Energy Consumers of America wrote in a Jan. 25 letter to DOE.”
President Biden’s LNG Pause Fuels Partisan Debate at House Hearing
James Downing, RTO Insider (February 6, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA)…released comments saying LNG exports affect domestic prices, especially when storage is low. That coincides with demand peaks, which the IECA claims contributed to $84 billion and $53 billion in higher natural gas and electricity prices in 2022 compared to a year earlier.”
FERC Gets Dueling Competition Studies in Transmission NOPR Docket
James Downing, RTO Insider (February 1, 2024)
““Contrary to their plea to revisit the commission’s prior determinations supporting competitive solicitations under Order No. 1000, the incumbent TOs fail to demonstrate that cost-of-service regulation is as effective as competition in establishing just and reasonable transmission rates,” ETCC said.”
The Great American Natural Gas Reckoning is Upon Us
Umair Irfan, Vox (January 30, 2024)
“In a letter, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a manufacturing industry trade group, urged the Energy Department to pause LNG exports. ‘As LNG export volumes increase, reliability risks and costs for both natural gas and electricity increase,’ Paul Cicio, the president of the group, wrote.”
Joe Biden Factors Domestic Energy Costs into Decision to Pause LNG Permits
Myles McCormick and Aime Williams, Financial Times (January 30, 2024)
“There is nevertheless some domestic concern about the effects of shipping gas abroad. ‘More exports equal more reliability and price risk,’ said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, which represents manufacturing companies.”
Biden Administration Freezes Gas Export Approvals
Brian Dabbs, Carlos Anchondo, E&E (January 26, 2024)
“While much of the criticism of LNG has focused on climate change, pressure on DOE to curtail LNG exports has also come from advocates like Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, an industry group representing domestic manufacturers. IECA says ‘U.S. natural gas and electricity prices are impacted by LNG exports when U.S. inventories are low, which is what happened in the winter of 2021-2022 and spot prices of natural gas increased by 300 percent.'”
US Pause on Pending LNG Projects to Damper Natural Gas, Ethane Prices
Al Greenwood, ICIS (January 26, 2024)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), which represents gas consumers, had urged the administration to adopt such a pause. It noted that the US Department of Energy has already approved 43.4 billion cubic feet/day of exports, a volume that represents 54% of US net gas supplies in 2022.”
Transmission Rulings Pave Path for Renewable Energy
Niina H. Farah, E&E (December 12, 2023)
“It’s a possible change that concerns Paul Cicio, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Industrial Energy Consumers of America. He called ROFR laws anti-competitive and anti-consumer.”
FERC Approves ITC Midwest Transmission Incentive Despite Uncertainty Over Iowa’s ROFR Law
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (August 9, 2023)
“In its decision, FERC dismissed arguments from a coalition of energy users that the incentive should be rejected because the Iowa Supreme Court put a hold on the state ROFR law that gave Iowa utilities the right of first refusal to build transmission lines. The coalition includes Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers, Resale Power Group of Iowa and Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group.”
FERC’s Proposed Rule Would Harm Consumers and the Energy Transition
Paul Cicio, PV Magazine (August 1, 2023)
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is currently considering a proposed rule on electricity transmission that not only fails to support competition expansion but retreats from existing regulations intended to introduce a new era of transmission competition. Instead of pursuing policies that lower electricity costs for consumers, FERC’s proposed rule would condemn ratepayers to decades of accelerating price hikes.”
US Policy Creates Uncertainty Over Future LNG Projects
Hellenic Shipping News (July 24, 2023)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America group, which represents leading US manufacturers, argued a year ago that ‘LNG exports have already resulted in substantially increased inflation via higher natural gas and electric power prices nationwide.'”
U.S. Consumers Can’t Compete With International LNG Buyers, Says IECA Chief
Jamison Cocklin, Natural Gas Intelligence (June 29, 2023)
“CEO Paul Cicio of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) spends a lot of his time cautioning against exporting more U.S. LNG to customers overseas.”
Consumer Groups Urge FERC to Expand Interconnection Reform Proposal to Increase Savings
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (June 9, 2023)
“FERC should consider how regional transmission planning can drive cost-effective network upgrades, according to the coalition, which includes the American Chemistry Council, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, the Electricity Customer Alliance, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates.”
Natural Gas Industry Groups Support Energy Permitting Reform
Valve Magazine (May 18, 2023)
“The American Forest & Paper Association, the American Public Gas Association, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and the Process Gas Consumers, representing hundreds of manufacturers and public gas companies, issued the following statement coinciding with its submission of a joint letter to Congressional leadership advocating for legislation to reform energy permitting.”
How a European Law Might Get Companies Around the World to Cut Climate Pollution
Michael Copley, NPR (May 17, 2023)
“But anything that’s seen as adding costs for American businesses could be hard to sell in Washington. ‘This should be a policy that’s about leveling the playing field,'” says Paul Cicio, chief executive of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, which represents manufacturers.”
U.S. Legislators Target Energy Market Manipulation with New Bill
Leticia Gonzales, Natural Gas Intelligence (May 12, 2023)
“In backing the proposed legislation on behalf of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), CEO Paul Cicio said his organization supports efforts to provide FERC ‘with additional enforcement authority to penalize companies that repeatedly manipulate electricity and natural gas markets. This includes fraudulent price reporting.'”
Soaring Electricity Prices Outrun Inflation but Have Likely Peaked as Natural Gas Prices Plunge: EIA, BLS
Stephen Singer, Utility Dive (April 13, 2023)
“Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, blamed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for high electricity prices. The agency, he said, ‘continues to abdicate its responsibility to require transmission projects be competitively bid.'”
MISO States Ramp Up ROFR Legislation
Amanda Durish Cook, RTO Insider (March 1, 2023)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America President Paul Cicio said the bill’s failure is a win for consumers. ‘Other states considering these anti-competitive and unconstitutional Right of First Refusal bills such as Indiana, Mississippi, Kansas, Missouri and Montana should follow Oklahoma’s example and reject them,’ he said in a statement. ‘With record investment into America’s electrical grid expected in the next few decades, it is vital that states find cost effective ways to build transmission infrastructure while promoting innovation. Competition is the only way to achieve those goals. The interests of the consumer will win out.'”
Manufacturers Face Natural Gas Scarcity Along Eastern Seaboard
Marcellus Drilling News (December 20, 2022)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a trade group representing some of the biggest consumers of energy in the U.S. (i.e., manufacturers), wrote a letter to the governors of 12 states along the Eastern Seaboard asking those governors to prioritize natural gas pipelines in their respective states (full copy of the letter below). Recipients included Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and (falling on deaf ears) New York and New Jersey. According to the letter, manufacturing companies along the East Coast face growing natural gas scarcity due to the lack of interstate natural gas pipeline capacity.”
Trade Group Encourages More Gas Pipelines in PA
News Radio WHP 580 (December 16, 2022)
“A manufacturer’s group is urging Governor Wolf to prioritize the building of more gas pipelines. The Pittsburgh Business Times reports the Industrial Energy Consumers of America has told Wolf and leaders in Atlantic seaboard states that a lack of natural gas pipelines is threatening economic development. They also say the states should delay closing coal-fired power plants until there’s enough natural gas supply to replace them for manufacturing needs.
Manufacturers Group Urges Building of More Gas Pipelines
Paul J. Gough, Pittsburgh Business Times (December 15, 2022)
Natural Gas Prices Are Way Up, So Brace for Higher SDG&E Bills
Rob Nikolewski, Del Mar Times (December 15, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, chief executive of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group for manufacturing companies, opposes LNG exports, saying they drive up domestic natural gas prices.”
Calls to Build Out East Coast Natural Gas Pipelines Escalating as Bill Seeks Regulatory Certainty
Morgan Evans, Natural Gas Intelligence (December 8, 2022)
“‘IECA encourages the DOE to use the DPA to build critical natural gas pipeline infrastructure along the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S.,’ said CEO Paul Cicio. ‘The manufacturing sector needs natural gas pipeline capacity from Alabama to New York to bolster national security, boost American manufacturing investments and jobs.'”
IECA Urges Use of Defense Production Act to Build East Coast Gas Pipeline Capacity
Keith Reid, Fuels Market News (November 30, 2022)
“IECA encourages the DOE to use the DPA to build critical natural gas pipeline infrastructure along the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S. The manufacturing sector needs natural gas pipeline capacity from Alabama to New York to bolster national security, boost American manufacturing investments, and jobs.”
Energy Grid Rule Sparks Inflation, Competitive Bidding Concerns
Bloomberg Law (November 15, 2022)
“A coalition of competition proponents wrote to President Joe Biden, arguing FERC’s proposed rule rejects “a proven anti-inflation policy.” If the competitive barriers stand, they will lead to “increasing electricity prices and further eroding public support for the transition to cleaner energy,” the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition wrote.”
China Wants America’s Natural Gas. Some Lawmakers are Worried.
Gavin Bade, Politico (October 26, 2022)
“When my companies price their products … they have to build in the expectation of higher natural gas and electricity prices,” said Paul Cicio, head of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a group of manufacturing companies that sent a letter this month to congressional leaders and the administration urging them to curtail exports. “That’s what you’re seeing at the grocery store. That’s what you’re seeing with everything we consumers use.”
Ohio Electricity Rates are Set to Spike Next June
Crain’s Cleveland Business (October 21, 2022)
LNG Developers Push for Faster Export Permits, Seeking to Take Advantage of European Market
Houston Chronicle (October 13, 2022)
The Growing Rebellion Facing Joe Biden – and What it Means for Europe’s Gas Supplies
The Telegraph (October 9, 2022)
Home Heating Expected to be More Expensive this Winter
Sen. Judy Schwank (October 9, 2022)
“The record-setting exportation and production numbers have been a cause for concern for some federal lawmakers and trade groups. With prices rising at home, aren’t we better served by bolstering domestic supplies to lower costs for Americans? Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Angus King and the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a non-profit that represents manufacturing companies, think so and have called for increased scrutiny on natural gas exports.”
Biden Backs Ongoing LNG Exports to Europe as Russia’s War in Ukraine Rages, Report Says
Kevin Dobbs, NGI (October 4, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a manufacturing advocate, has led the opposition of further expanding LNG export projects, citing domestic supply concerns and elevated prices. That remains the case, said IECA President Paul Cicio. But he told NGI that the nonprofit understands why Biden would avoid curbs on exports now, given the heightened tensions in Ukraine and Europe, by extension.”
GOP Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Bill Competing with Manchin Plan
Carolyn Davis, Natural Gas Intel (September 13, 2022)
“Meanwhile, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) separately told Congress that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) should help secure more access to natural gas by expanding pipeline infrastructure.”
Congress Should Require FERC, NERC to Monitor Gas Pipeline Capacity to Ensure Reliability, Manufacturers Say
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (September 12, 2022)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group for manufacturers, urged Congress on Friday to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. responsibility for making sure there is enough interstate natural gas pipeline capacity to maintain the reliability of the natural gas and electricity systems during peak periods.”
Record U.S. LNG Exports To Europe May Not Last
Irina Slav, oilprice.com (September 11, 2022)
“LNG exports have already resulted in substantially increased inflation via higher natural gas and electric power prices,” wrote the Industrial Energy Consumers of America group in a regulatory filing cited by the FT.”
Manufacturers Push Regulators for More Natural Gas Pipelines
Nico Portuondo, E&E News (September 9, 2022)
“For decades, the current system has worked well. When pipeline capacity was needed, pipeline companies filed permits to the FERC and for the most part, the pipelines were approved and built without much delay,” wrote Paul Cicio, CEO of Industrial Energy Consumers of America.””
MISO Set to Expand Grid, Usher in Renewable Development
Kelvey Vander Hart, C3 (September 8, 2022)
“But project development is not all smooth sailing from here. Consumer advocates concerned about project costs have filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to mandate competitive behavior during project development from MISO. These groups include the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers, the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, the Resale Power Group of Iowa, the Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity, and the Michigan Chemistry Council.””
US’s Gas Rescue Plan for Europe Threatens Domestic Backlash
Financial Times (September 8, 2022)
“In August the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a manufacturing group, said in a regulatory filing that “LNG exports have already resulted in substantially increased inflation via higher natural gas and electric power prices.”
FERC Urged To Smash State Grid Construction Law Barriers
Law 360 (September 2, 2022)
Battle Lines Drawn on FERC Tx Planning NOPR
Rich Heidorn Jr. and Sam Mintz, RTO Insider (August 17, 2022)
“Commenters disagreed over FERC’s proposed transmission planning rules, sparring over its 20-year planning horizon and reinstatement of the federal ROFR.”
Aluminum Mill Producing 20% of US Supply Can’t Afford Their Electric Bill – This is Biden’s Energy Crisis
Jack Davis, The Western Journal (August 12, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America wants the Biden administration to limit the amount of gas American energy suppliers send overseas for fear that shortages will begin here in the U.S.”
Why US Gas Can’t Solve Europe’s Energy Crisis
Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide (August 2, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, CEO of the manufacturer trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America, told the Wall Street Journal that ‘the American consumer, the American economy, the American national security is at risk unless we maintain surplus inventory.'”
LNG Exports and the Rising Cost of U.S. Natural Gas: Manufacturing’s Fight for Supply Security
NGI’s Hub & Flow (July 29, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, CEO of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), joins Jamison Cocklin, NGI’s senior editor of LNG, to discuss the role that rising LNG exports have had in pushing U.S. natural gas prices higher. IECA represents thousands of energy-intensive facilities across the country. The organization has been working for years to curb the rapid pace of LNG export growth as the manufacturing sector faces rising prices and stronger competition from overseas.”
High Natural Gas Prices May Ripple Across the Energy Sector
Mike Lee, Carlos Anchondo, E&E News (July 28, 2022)
“Manufacturing companies are ‘severely’ affected by high natural gas prices, Paul Cicio, president and CEO of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), said in an email.
FERC’s Proposed Rulemaking on Transmission Planning Draws Mixed Reviews
S&P Global Commodity Insights (July 28, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, Industrial Energy Consumers of America president and CEO and organizer of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said his organization’s priorities are ‘competition, competition, competition.'”
MISO Approves Large Grid Expansion, Paving Way for Renewables
Miranda Willson, E&E News (July 26, 2022)
“Because of those state laws, 90 percent of the transmission lines MISO approved yesterday are expected to be built by utilities, as opposed to independent energy companies that could potentially develop them more cheaply, the complaint said. It was filed by the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group and other groups.”
Customer Groups Seek to End Utility Lock on Transmission Development in MISO States
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (July 25, 2022)
“The complaint filed by Industrial Energy Consumers of America and five other groups comes as MISO’s board is set to vote today on the $10.4 billion initial tranche of a long-range transmission plan.”
Consumer Groups File FERC Complaint Against MISO
Amanda Durish Cook (July 24, 2022)
Lake Charles LNG Plan Facing Opposition from Industrial Advocates as ‘Line in the Sand’
Jacob Dick, Natural Gas Intelligence (July 12, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) has targeted Energy Transfer LP’s request to extend the timeline of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from its proposed Lake Charles project as a part of what group leadership calls “a line in the sand.”
Natural Gas Soars 700%, Becoming Driving Force in the New Cold War
Gerson Freitas Jr, Stephen Stapczynski and Anna Shiryaevskaya, Bloomberg (July 9, 2022)
“Natural gas remains cheaper in the US — but even there, futures had more than doubled this year before the Freeport shutdown. With key political allies from Germany to Ukraine desperate to buy American gas, US manufacturers warn that more sales abroad will mean higher costs at home. The market reaction to the Freeport fire illustrates a “clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity,” says Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America.”
Unusual Coalition Aims to Turn Biden Against LNG Exports
Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner (July 8, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, president and CEO of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, which represents a wide range of manufacturers producing everything from chemicals to plastics and cement, pointed to the outage in a recent protest filing with the Department of Energy to argue that DOE should scale down its LNG export authorizations to keep more of that gas at home.”
The US Industrial Complex Is Starting to Buckle From High Power Costs
Joe Deaux and Naureen S. Malik, Bloomberg (July 7, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America has been calling on the Biden administration for months to limit the amount of gas US energy suppliers send overseas, warning that exports would eventually lead to supply shortages at home.”
US Freeport Outage, Nord Stream Drop Lift Global Gas Markets
Hellenic Shipping News (June 20, 2022)
“Today’s announcement that the Freeport LNG export terminal will not be restarting until later this year, and the resulting significant drop in pricing, demonstrates the clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity,’ according to a statement from the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, an industrial trade association that has vocally opposed unrestricted US LNG exports.”
Opinion: US LNG is Becoming a Zero-Sum Game
Seb Kennedy, Energy Monitor (June 17, 2022)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a Washington-based trade body that has been campaigning for years to cap US gas exports, has seized on this moment to drive home its message: US LNG is hurting American industry.”
U.S. Gas Exports Bind America to the World, in Sickness and in Health
Anya Litvak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (June 16, 2022)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a Washington D.C.-based group that has previously written to the U.S. Department of Energy asking it to curtail LNG exports, said the dynamic ‘demonstrates the clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity.'”
What Does Extended Freeport LNG Outage Mean?
Andreas Exarheas, Rigzone (June 16, 2022)
“In a separate statement sent to Rigzone, Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) noted that the announcement that the Freeport LNG export terminal will not be restarting until later this year, and the resulting significant drop in pricing, demonstrates the clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity.”
Natural Gas Could Start to Melt United Front Against Russia
Jinjoo Lee, The Wall Street Journal (June 15, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, an industry group of manufacturers, released a statement on Tuesday saying that the drop in natural-gas prices following the Freeport LNG development ‘demonstrates the clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity.'”
Global Natural Gas Prices Soar on Freeport LNG, Russian Outages
Jamison Cocklin, Natural Gas Intelligence (June 15, 2022)
“The Freeport outage has renewed calls to limit U.S. exports, as well. The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) said the steep drop in prices Tuesday after the terminal said it would offline longer ‘demonstrates the clear connection’ between exports and the ‘inflationary impacts’ to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity.”
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Fall Over Texas Terminal Repairs That Will Take Months
Bill Taylor, Inferse (June 15, 2022)
“That the closing of one export terminal ‘is having such a significant impact to prices’ should be “alarming to federal policymakers,’ said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a lobbying group.”
Natural-Gas Prices Plunge After Extended Outage at Texas LNG Facility
Ryan Dezember, The Wall Street Journal (June 14, 2022)
“U.S. manufacturers and consumer advocates have pointed to rising LNG exports as a big reason behind budget-busting energy costs at home. ‘It should be alarming to federal policy makers that the Freeport LNG terminal only exports 2 billion cubic feet a day, yet it is having such a significant impact to prices,’ said Paul Cicio, chief executive of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a manufacturers’ association.”
Freeport LNG Extends Outage After Fire, Targets Year End for Full Operations
Liz Hampton and Marwa Rashad, Reuters (June 14, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, chief executive of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group that has called on Congress to limit expanded LNG export permits, said the outage highlighted the impact exports had on costs for U.S. consumers.”
U.S. Efforts to Help Supply Europe with Natural Gas Take a Hit
Clifford Krauss, The New York Times (June 14, 2022)
“That the closing of one export terminal ‘is having such a significant impact to prices’ should be ‘alarming to federal policymakers,’ said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a lobbying group.”
FERC Says LNG Export Growth Key Factor in Higher Summer Natural Gas, Electric Prices
Jeremiah Shelor, Natural Gas Intelligence (May 20, 2022)
“Meanwhile, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America trade group, following Thursday’s FERC meeting, called out U.S. LNG export growth as a key factor behind elevated domestic natural gas prices.”
MISO Exec, IMM Debate Next Steps After Capacity Auction Shortfall
Amanda Durish Cook, RTO Insider (May 18, 2022)
Surging Natural Gas Prices Squeeze U.S. Industrial Sector
Marcy de Luna and Bianca Flowers, Reuters (May 16, 2022)
“Paul Cicio of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, president of the group, wrote last month to Jennifer Granholm in a written statement. The group asked Washington to stop approving LNG export permit until U.S. gasoline stockpiles have been rebuilt.”
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Retake $8.00 as Additional European Exports Secured
Nathan Allen, Seeking Alpha (May 16, 2022)
“While rising natural gas prices have been well received by energy investors, the President of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America trade group said Sunday, ‘the manufacturing sector cannot invest and create jobs without assurances that our natural gas and electricity prices will not be imperiled by excessive LNG exports.'”
Energy Policy Abandons Electricity Consumers and Increases Inflation
Jon Wellinghoff & Paul Cicio Op-Ed (May 15, 2022)
Power Prices Jumped 51% in PJM, 85% in New England in Q1 Due to Rising Gas Prices
Ethan Howland, Utility Drive (May 13, 2022)
“‘The culprit is the high and accelerating price of natural gas, largely driven by LNG exports,’ Paul Cicio, President and CEO of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group, said Friday in an email.
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Surge as Europe Turns Away from Russian Energy
Derek Brower, Financial Times (May 5, 2022)
“Consumers in the U.S. are feeling the pinch. ‘But for LNG, the price of Henry Hub would be $3.50 a million Btu,’ said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group that has long criticized U.S. LNG exports.”
U.S. Regulators Nix Pipeline’s ‘Climate-Friendly’ Gas Plan
Daniel Moore, Bloomberg (May 2, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America ‘agrees with FERC’s decision that the pipeline has failed to demonstrate its tariff is just and reasonable,’ Paul Cicio, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement Monday. ‘There needs to be cost-containment accountability. All of their costs are passed onto us, the buyers of the natural gas.”
Europe Wants American Natural Gas. That Could Crive Up U.S. Prices
Laurie Foti, World News Era (April 30, 2022)
“You can’t just open the floodgates and keep exporting more gas without a safety net for the U.S. consumer,” said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group representing thousands of manufacturers of fertilizers, chemicals and other products heavily reliant on natural gas. “But that is what is going on.”
While Texas Froze Part 3: The Increasing Global Demand for LNG
Paul Robbins, The Austin Bulldog (April 29, 2022)
“Alarm from U.S. manufacturing industries over LNG exports can best be described by the position of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), an organization representing the interests of more than 11,700 U.S. manufacturing facilities including chemicals, plastics, metal smelting and working, paper, food processing, building products, automotive manufacturing, independent oil refining, and cement. IECA has been involved at the federal level in both the regulation and legislation for more than 20 years.”
Europe Wants American Natural Gas. That Could Drive Up U.S. Prices
Evan Halper, Washington Post (April 28, 2022)
“’You can’t just open the floodgates and keep exporting more gas without a safety net for the U.S. consumer,’” said Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group representing thousands of manufacturers of fertilizers, chemicals and other products heavily reliant on natural gas. “But that is what is going on.”
Natural Gas Exports Fuel Spike in U.S. Utility Bills
Brian Dabbs, National Journal (April 28, 2022)
“‘I’ll put it this way: The average consumer, the homeowner, has no idea, no idea what is happening or what’s about to happen to them,’ said Paul Cicio, CEO of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, in an interview.”
Golden LNG Export Opportunity Comes With Potential Risks For Shale
Dan Eberhart, Forbes (April 27, 2022)
“Last month, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) filed comments with FERC opposing Venture Global’s application for long-term authorization to export LNG from its proposed CP2 project in Louisiana to non-free trade agreement nations. The fear is that state-controlled buyers in global LNG markets like China could capitalize on expanded U.S. LNG exports by outbidding European players for cargoes in the globalized gas market.”
Should EPA Back-Off Pollution Controls to Help LNG Exports Replace Russian Gas in Germany?
James Bruggers, Inside Climate News (April 20, 2022)
“‘Every consumer has been impacted by LNG exports,’” said Paul Cicio, president and chief executive officer of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a lobby for manufacturers. ‘But for LNG exports, we would have a lot of gas and prices would be lower,’ he said.”
Biden’s Energy Marshall Plan for Europe Is No Quick Fix
Paul Takahashi and Sergio Chapa, Bloomberg (March 31, 2022)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a lobbying group, already blames LNG exports for helping to push up energy bills. U.S. natural gas prices have risen about 45% in the year to date and more than doubled over the past 12 months.”
Russia Crisis May Drive a U.S. Natural Gas Surge
Mike Soraghan, E&E News (March 9, 2022)
“Increased exports will put more upward pressure on prices. ‘This will likely spur more export capacity to get built, which will increase demand on an uncertain supply, and uncertain pipeline capacity,’ said Paul Cicio, president and CEO of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America.
Ukraine ‘Energy War’ Demands Fast Gas Permits, Manchin Says
Bloomberg Law (March 3, 2022)
“U.S. energy regulators’ decision to scrutinize new natural gas pipelines and export terminals are a threat to the country’s energy security and suggest a partisan Democratic agenda at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s top Democrat and Republican charged Thursday. The Industrial Energy Consumers of America wrote to the committee to oppose the policy.”
Fuel for Thought: Backing New Role in Digital Asset Oversight, CFTC Chair also Embraces Limits
Maya Weber, S&P Global Platts (February 15, 2022)
“On a separate matter Feb. 9, the CFTC continued to hear calls to investigate a late-January price spike for the February 2022 NYMEX futures contract. The American Public Power Association asked the regulator to closely examine activity for manipulation or other lawful contact, joining a prior request by the Industrial Energy Consumers of America.
Lack of Pipelines Pushing Up Prices for Natural Gas
James Osborne, Houston Chronicle (February 10, 2022)
“Limited capacity on pipelines is driving up natural gas prices for U.S. manufacturers, making it tougher to compete with low-cost manufactures abroad, the trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America said in a letter to members of Congress.”
Lack of New M-U Pipelines Hitting East Coast Manufacturers Hard
Marcellus Drilling News (February 10, 2022)
“The trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) sent a letter to members of Congress yesterday telling our dear leaders that not enough new natural gas pipelines are getting built, especially in the eastern part of the country, and that lack of new pipelines is having a seriously negative impact on U.S. manufacturers that can’t get enough gas, and the gas they’re buying costs too much. Lack of pipelines is ‘detrimental to new investments and job creation’ according to the letter. In particular, the letter complained about flows along the mighty Transco pipeline, owned by Williams.
Gas Pipeline Constraints Showing Along East Coast, Manufacturers Say
James Osborne, Houston Chronicle (February 9, 2022)
“Limited capacity on natural gas pipelines is driving up gas prices for U.S. manufacturers, making it tougher to compete with low-cost manufactures abroad, the trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America said in a letter to members of Congress Wednesday.”
National Grid Natural Gas Bills Are Expected to Spike in February
Newsday (February 9, 2022)
Increased U.S. Natural Gas Exports = Higher U.S. Prices: Who Knew?
Kurt Cobb, Resilience (February 6, 2022)
“…the senators mentioned above and a trade group representing natural gas users, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, beg to differ. They say that energy is unique and keeping it affordable is critical to the business competitiveness and vitality of the U.S. economy.”
Biden Faces Growing Pressure to Restrict LNG Exports Following Price Spike
Houston Chronicle (February 4, 2022)
“The trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in November asking the administration to create a consumer safety valve.”
Manufacturers’ Group Asks CFTC to Probe Jan. 27 Henry Hub Futures Price Spike
Maya Weber and Kelsey Hallahan, S&P Global Platts (February 2, 2022)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America wrote CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam Feb. 2, asking the regulator to look into the role of derivatives, who benefited, and how the CFTC could prevent such a spike in the future. He also urged the commission to look into whether its expanded speculative position limits were a factor in the spike, and what role passive funds may have played. He also asked the regular to examine who was on either side of the closing price.”
Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US and Europe Make Contingency Plan in Case Putin Cuts Off Gas Supplies
Leo Cendrowicz, inews (January 27, 2022)
“Within the US, a group representing large industrial energy users and manufacturers that traditionally resists the export of US natural gas has shown a willingness to make an exception for helping Europeans weather any possible cut-off of Russian natural gas. The group, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, has asked Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to limit exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).”
Opponents of US LNG Exports Call for Controls Amid World Gas Crunch
Edale-Trading (January 27, 2022)
“The IECA has called for a new Natural Gas Act to revisit how the US government determines whether exports are in the public interest and the creation of a ‘consumer safety valve’ that would allow the US to roll back exports in the event of significantly higher domestic prices.”
U.S. Plans to Divert Natural Gas to Europe if Russia Cuts Off Supplies Amid Crisis with Ukraine
Vanesa Catanzaro, The BL (January 26, 2022)
“One of the industrial energy manufacturing groups, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, had asked the U.S. Secretary of Energy to limit exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, citing rising costs.”
Are U.S. LNG Exports Leading to Higher Prices? Yes, Say Consumer Advocates
Jacob Dick, Natural Gas Intelligence (January 26, 2022)
“President Paul N. Cicio of the nonprofit Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) said the manufacturing advocate would continue to oppose expanding LNG export projects and deals until the approval process is reformed.”
Analysts Weigh in on Increase in Gas and Energy Prices
Haley Weger, KPLC TV (January 25, 2022)
“Paul N. Cicio, with the nonprofit- Industrial Energy Consumers of America, worries that extended contracts with global exports will pose problems in the future. ‘We are giving – those policies are giving – foreign countries access to our gas all the way out to 2050 but without any guarantees that that gas is going to be available for the domestic market and at responsible prices,’ Cicio said.”
Experts Talk about Price, Supply of Natural Gas
Lisa Dunlap, Roswell Daily Record (January 25, 2022)
“Two experts on the U.S. liquified natural gas industry have said that U.S. consumers and businesses are being hurt by national policy that encourages exports of LNG to foreign countries, with one saying that the group he represents is asking U.S. Department of Energy officials to develop “safety valve” programs to ensure reasonable prices and supply in this country.”
States Unwind FERC Plans for Grid Expansion
Jeffrey Tomich, E&E News (January 19, 2022)
“Paul Cicio, CEO of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, said the group is “disappointed that Michigan has decided to pass right of first refusal legislation which prevents transmission projects from being competitively bid. Competitively bid transmission projects reduce costs by about one-third, saving billions for consumers.”
Imports to Exports: U.S. Set to Lead World in LNG Sales
Larry Persily, Alaska Journal of Commerce (December 1, 2021)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America sent a letter on Nov. 22 to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, offering a dozen reasons why the department should scale back export approvals. Two months earlier, the same group urged the department to require exporters to throttle back their cargoes.”
U.S. Senator Questions Oil and Gas Companies on Rising LNG Exports, Gas Prices
Maya Weber, S&P Global Platts (November 24, 2021)
“A long-time opponent of US LNG exports, IECA has been asking the Department of Energy to reconsider whether its export authorizations are in the public interest and consider a ‘consumer safety valve’ on exports to non-free trade agreement countries.”
Senators Knock Energy Exports as Fuel Prices Surge
Ben Lefebvre, Politico (November 16, 2021)
“Limiting energy exports has gained new attention as prices have surged in recent months. The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group representing manufacturing companies, sent a letter to Manchin and Committee ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) asking Congress to limit the amount of natural gas shipped overseas.”
America’s LNG Growing Pains
Seb Kennedy, Energy Flux (October 28, 2021)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America last month fired a warning shot at the White House, calling for LNG exports to be curbed “to prevent a supply crisis” this winter.”
FERC’s Glick Urges Power Plant Owners to Line Up Fuel Supplies as Gas Prices Soar
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive (October 22, 2021)
“The warning about high natural gas prices this winter comes as the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group for manufacturers, is urging the Department of Energy to limit LNG exports to keep gas prices in check this winter.”
Oil Recovery Shows Demand is Still on a Rising Trend
Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide (October 12, 2021)
“Even so, gas buyers in the US have been looking nervously at rising domestic prices. The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a group that has long argued for restraint on US LNG exports, last month urged Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, to take immediate action to curb international sales of US gas. The group urged the Biden administration to ‘reduce export rates’ for US LNG until gas inventories were back at five-year average levels, and to put a hold on all pending approvals for new export facilities pending a review of whether the projects are ‘in the public interest.'”
Global Natural Gas Thirst Unlikely to be Satiated by U.S. Production
Carolyn Davis, Natural Gas Intelligence (October 11, 2021)
“In an open letter sent in September to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Industrial Energy Consumers of America called for reducing LNG exports to prevent a supply crisis this winter.”
Natural-Gas Shortage Sets Off Scramble Ahead of Winter
Joe Wallace, Collin Eaton and Benoit Faucon, The Wall Street Journal (October 7, 2021)
“If U.S. natural gas prices keep climbing to about $10 per million British thermal units, up from almost $6 now, some manufacturers won’t be able to turn a profit and may have to shut some operations, said Paul Cicio, president of manufacturing trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America, who advocates limiting LNG exports from the U.S. to allow inventories to recover.”
U.S. Manufacturers Urge Congress to Avoid Imposing Fees on Energy-Intensive Industries
Carolyn Davis, Natural Gas Intelligence (September 28, 2021)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) on Tuesday urged Congress to not impose any direct or indirect climate-related costs on U.S. manufacturers until an import fee is implemented on carbon-intensive goods.”
Soaring Gas Prices Ripple through Heavy Industry, Supply Chains
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Susanna Twidale, Roslan Khasawneh, Reuters (September 22, 2021)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group representing chemical, food and materials manufacturers, has in recent days called on the U.S. Department of Energy to stop the country’s liquefied natural gas producers from exporting gas to help keep the energy costs down for industry.”
America’s Next Hot Import Might Be Record Energy Prices
Jinjoo Lee, Wall Street Journal (September 20, 2021)
“The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a trade group representing manufacturers, sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Friday urging immediate action to reduce LNG exports so that the U.S. can stock up on enough natural gas before winter. The group said many manufacturers can no longer compete in the market if Henry Hub prices rise above $10 per MMBtu.”
US DOE Urged to Cut LNG Expo”rts as Gas Costs Spike
Anthony Wright, Gasworld (September 20, 2021)
“In an open letter to the US Department of Energy (DOE), non-profit energy trade association the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) has called for a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to prevent a supply crisis this coming winter.”
Trade Group Wants Restrictions on U.S. Natural Gas Exports
Rithika Krishna, Reuters (September 19, 2021)
“Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a trade group representing chemical, food and materials manufacturers, said U.S. prices would have to increase to $10 per mmBtu to provide incentive to producers to pump more gas and bring stocks back to historic levels.”
Bipartisan Bills Would Tweak Tax Break, FERC Powers
Geof Koss, E&E News (June 22, 2021)
“This creates an incentive for interstate natural gas pipelines to prolong such cases because they are able to keep all of the overcharged monies,” wrote the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the American Public Gas Association, the American Public Power Association and others.”
DHS Issues Pipeline Cybersecurity Directive but Industry Championing FERC Mandatory Standards
Sonal Patel, Power Magazine (May 31, 2021)
“At least one group, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), is actively lobbying Congress to give FERC federal reliability oversight over natural gas pipelines, as well as the mandate authority to issue standards for pipeline physical and cybersecurity requirements.”
Manufacturers Push for Mandatory Federal Cybersecurity Standards for Natural Gas Pipelines
Jeremiah Shelor, Natural Gas Intelligence (May 19, 2021)
“Pointing to the Colonial Pipeline attack as a “wake-up call” for lawmakers, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) wrote in letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives that lawmakers should give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to oversee reliability and establish mandatory requirements for securing natural gas pipelines against threats.”