CAES News
Iowa Energy Alliance Urges Passage of Senate Bill Allowing for Energy Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico
High Natural Gas Prices are Impacting Iowa’s Agricultural Industry, More Domestic Exploration Would Provide Relief
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 31, 2006
CONTACT: Sandra Jaques
515-226-0129
DES MOINES, IA – The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on legislation today that would increase domestic energy exploration. S. 3711 would open 8.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico in deep sea waters to energy exploration. The area is conservatively estimated to contain 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which is enough natural gas to heat/cool 6 million homes for 15 years. The Iowa Consumer Alliance for Energy Security strongly urges the Senate to pass this important legislation.
“A vote for S. 3711 is a vote for Iowa farmers,” said Bill Northey, a member of the Iowa Consumer Alliance for Energy Security. “Iowa farmers and livestock producers are greatly impacted by the increased natural gas costs. The ag industry utilizes natural gas in food processing, irrigation, crop drying, fueling ethanol plants and heating farm buildings. It is also used in the production of crop protection chemicals and nitrogen fertilizers. The high cost of natural gas has directly impacted the cost of fertilizer, driving it up to more than twice the cost in the last 4 years.
“The higher energy cost is affecting the bottom line of Iowa farmers through dramatically increased production costs. Increasing the natural gas supply is crucial and our farmers need congressional action to address this serious energy problem,” concluded Northey.
The Iowa Consumer Alliance for Energy Security is the Iowa arm of a broad-based coalition of consumers and industrial and institutional energy users committed to alleviating the current U.S. energy crisis by pushing for greater access to the abundant supply of domestic energy on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). For additional information, visit www.secureourenergy.com.
Members of the Iowa Consumer Alliance for Energy Security:
Mike Bennet; CEO, Terra Industries
Tad Cooper; Senior Vice President, Advanced Service Corporation
Dave Coppess; Chair, Agriculture Retailers Association
David Engle; President, The ESCO Group
Thurman Gaskill; State Senator
Curt Hames; President, Hames Homes
Jason Hellickson; Director & Senior VP, Holmes Murphy Insurance
Stewart Iverson; State Senator
Delayne Johnson; Board Member, Quad County Ethanol Plant
Joe Kelly; Executive Vice President, Iowa Manufactured Housing Association
James Kurtenbach; State Representative
Craig Lang; President, Iowa Farm Bureau
John Latham; Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids
Steve Lukan; State Representative
Jim Magnuson; General Manager, SCE
Dwayne McAninch; Chairman/CEO, McAninch Corporation
Larry McKibben; State Senator
Jim Meyer; Former State Representative
Jim Nepola, M.D., Iowa City
Bill Northey; Past President, Corn Growers Association
Garry Pellett; President, Pellett Petroleum Co.
Brian Quirk; State Representative
Bruce Rastetter; President, Hawkeye Renewable Corp.
Mark Rosenbury; Senior VP, Terra Industries
Kyle Skogman; President, Skogman Realty
Walt Smith; President, Thombert, Inc. & ITWC, Inc.
Mike Steele; President, Steele Financial Services
Mike Stineman; President, Citation Homes
Jeff Stroburg; CEO, West Central Cooperative
Bob Van Diest; President, Van Diest Supply Company
Ralph Watts; State Representative
Bob Wersen; President, Panel Components Corp.
Mike Weston; Managing Partner, Moyer & Bergman Law Firm
Jim Zahnd; VP of Government Relations, Iowa Health Systems
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