Today, the Obama administration is offering 39 million acres of the most oil- and gas-rich area of the Gulf of Mexico in order to increase the exploration and production of America’s domestic energy resources. This is a landmark sale – we estimate that up to 1.6 billion barrels of oil and 6.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be produced as a result of the acres leased. …The bottom line: it’s good news for American jobs, good news for the Gulf economy, and it’s good news…
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/06/20/another-step-forward-toward-energy-security
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/10/ebg101310.html
Science Daily (May 13, 2012) — The average U.S. citizen is willing to pay 13 percent more for electricity in support of a national clean-energy standard. Americans, on average, are willing to pay $162 per year in higher electricity bills to support a national standard requiring that 80 percent of the energy be "clean," or not derived from fossil fuels. Support was lower for a national standard among nonwhites, older individuals and Republicans.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120513144628.htm
Written by Krystal High, Politic365, January 2012
In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out his vision for a "future where we're in control of our own energy… On the heels of this declaration, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future released its final report…Black elected officials from across the country agree that nuclear energy is a key component of our country's energy equation. In late 2009, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators ("NBCSL"), adopted a resolution encouraging the Administration to be more assertive in its pursuit of a nuclear energy agenda…
http://washingtoninformer.com/index.php/us/item/5741-nuclear-report-impact-on-minority-communities
June 22, 2012
"Where there is no vision the people perish" - Proverbs 29:18
After a successful 35th Annual Conference, I have been reflecting on all that is has taken for this association to reach where we are.
Thirty-five years ago, Clarke Watson saw that African Americans were being left out of the national policy discussions around energy. He brought together others who shared the same concern and from them the association was formed.
We'll be working more to ensure that our chapters have the resources they need to be strong and viable because they are our face in the community. We'll be providing more opportunities for professional development and will utilizing technology to engage and educate our members.
We'll be working even more diligently to understand energy policy across sectors not only on the national level, but on the state level as well.
Today, our leadership has a vision that will broaden our organization's reach and increase our organization's voice. In doing so, we will focus on key initiatives that bring value for our members.
We will be educating our communities and our policy makers. We will encourage more students to pursue careers in energy and work to help them become the future leaders in our companies.
We will be the resource for energy policy issues both domestically, and on the international stage. We are committed to fulfilling the vision of our founders, but it will take all of us working together to realize our goals.
With warmest regards,
Arnetta McRae
President and CEO
American Association of Blacks in Energy