CAES News
OREGON BUSINESS AND NATURAL RESOURCE GROUPS URGE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL TO AUTHORIZE OFFSHORE ENERGY EXPLORATION
Swift passage will help set the nation’s economy on a path toward more energy security
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 31, 2006
CONTACT: DOUG BADGER
(503) 260-3235
Portland, OR – The Oregon Consumer Alliance for Energy Security, a broad and diverse coalition of Oregon business and natural resource trade associations, today urged Oregon’s two U.S. Senators to support a bill to authorize offshore energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
S. 3711, The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, will open up over 8 million acres of Gulf area for exploration. The coalition, which formed earlier this spring in response to surging natural gas prices, is calling for swift passage of S. 3711 to expand safely domestic supply of natural gas.
Over the last several years, the price of natural gas has tripled as a result of greater demand and transportation of gas from the West to markets in the Midwest and East. The impact of higher gas prices on Oregon manufacturers, food processors, and the wood products industry has been profound. In addition, Oregon farmers are paying a much higher cost for production materials, such as fertilizer, which require a lot of natural gas in the manufacturing process.
“Natural gas prices are a growing part of the cost of production for Oregon manufacturers. In a global economy in which many of our foreign competitors enjoy 50% lower natural gas prices, our companies are placed at a distinct disadvantage,” said Richard Butrick, President of Associated Oregon Industries. “We must find new U.S. sources of natural gas and this Senate bill is a good start.”
"Oregon farmers are struggling to cope with the growing cost of production driven by high energy prices, said Barry Bushue, President of the Oregon Farm Bureau. “This bill offers a meaningful and reasonable way forward to begin to deal with the problem of inadequate supply. I urge both of our senators to support it."
“There is a fundamental need to increase U.S. supplies of natural gas in this country,” said Paula Pyron, Executive Director of the Northwest Industrial Gas Users. “Not only is this lack of supply harmful to the health of Pacific Northwest industry that relies on natural gas for manufacturing processes, it is damaging to all natural gas consumers. ”
Members of the Oregon Consumers Alliance for Energy Security include: Associated Oregon Industries, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Small Business Coalition, Northwest Food Processors Association, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Oregon Forest Industries Council, Northwest Industrial Gas Users, Northwest Gas Association, Oregon
Cattlemen’s Association, Oregon Wheat Growers League, Associated Oregon Loggers, Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Oregon Seed Council, and Oregon Dairy Farmers Association.
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