Group To Make Stand in NC for Lower Energy Costs by Increasing Domestic Energy Supplies

Contact: Joyce Krawiec – 336 817-4601 or 336 996-3924

April 12, 2006 - (Winston-Salem) -- Joyce Krawiec, a successful NC businesswoman, today announced the formation of NC Consumers Alliance for Energy Security (NCCAES)-- a new group that advocates reducing energy costs for businesses and families by increasing supplies of domestic natural gas to meet skyrocketing demand here at home. NCCAES is an affiliate of the Consumer Alliance for Energy Security (CAES), formed in Washington, DC on April 5, 2006.

Since 1990, the increase in domestic demand for clean natural gas has outpaced the increase in supply by 400 percent, according to W. Henson Moore, President of the American Forest & Paper Association and a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy -- which is why U.S. natural gas prices are "the highest in the world."

North Carolina has 1,056,467 natural gas customers who are feeling the pain of high energy prices because unlike oil, natural gas is a regional, not global, commodity generally used where it's produced-- and we don't produce enough. In 2004, North Carolina saw $1.411 billion in total gas utility sales revenue. (American Gas Association, 2004 data)

"It's time to do something," said Joyce Krawiec. "The clean and safe solution is natural gas, and there's enough at the Outer Continental Shelf to heat 100 million homes for 60 years," says Krawiec. "We live in a new world today, and we can't allow 85% of our deep sea supplies of natural gas to go untouched 20 miles offshore because of outdated government policies when so many families are struggling to meet these high energy costs," she continued.

Joining Krawiec in the leadership of NC Consumers Alliance for Energy Security are: Richard Renegar (Harmony), Wade Stewart (Smithfield) [list a few others]. Over 70 other state activists from North Carolina have become founding members, and are launching a full-scale grassroots push this week as the new organization is announced.

Rising energy costs are devastating US manufacturers and have contributed to the loss of more than 3,100,000 jobs in the last 5 years alone. Manufacturers use natural gas as a source of energy, and as a feedstock in the plastics, fertilizer and pharmaceutical sectors.

Former MI Governor John Engler, the President of the National Association of Manufacturers told reporters last week at an April 5, 2006 news conference launching CAES: "America is suffering an energy crisis which is hurting our economy and threatening our jobs. It's time to reduce costs and increase supplies."

Agriculture, the largest industry in North Carolina, is feeling the pinch.

"Farmers rely on affordable natural gas as a feedstock for fertilizer, but also for powering farm equipment and processing agriculture products," said Richard Renegar, a farm leader from Harmony, North Carolina. "If we don’t take common sense steps to get prices down, more and more farmers will go out of business. If we drive the farmers out, then our food will have to come from somewhere else too. Something must be done," he said.

"The North Carolina forestry industry desperately needs affordable natural gas. Our US forestry industry has lost 182,000 jobs since gas prices began rising," said Wade Stewart, a tree farmer from Smithfield, NC.

"Many other institutional customers such as schools and churches have to cut back on vital services because of skyrocketing natural gas costs," said Krawiec.

"Guilford County Schools' natural gas bill in January was more than double the bill for the same month last year. In January, the district's cost for natural gas was more than $1.3 million, compared with $529,000 in January 2005," said Krawiec, citing an article in the Greensboro News Record (2/22/06).

"Rockingham County government more than doubled last year's heating expenditure, paying $42,256.05 for this January's natural gas, compared with $17,043.02 in January 2005." (GSO N&R, 2/22/06)

"We can not sit back and watch so much economic pain when an abundant supply of U.S. energy is just off our shores," Krawiec said. "This supply can help North Carolinians deal with high energy costs and decrease our dependence on foreign sources," she continued.
 
In March, a group of 30 North Carolinians traveled to Washington, DC to meet with North Carolina's Congressional leaders about the need to change policies in order to help our economy, save jobs, lower energy costs for families and become more energy independent from foreign sources.

# # #

Editor’s Note: For more information, contact:

Craig G. Veith
703.717.9816
craig.veith@craigveith.com