Daniel Simmons, ALEC's Natural Resources Task Force Director, is available to discuss latest energy market issues: from gasoline and natural gas prices to the battles in Congress over opening up OCS and the Gulf of Mexico for more oil and gas production.

Mr. Simmons can provide analysis on the following energy issues: 

1) Gasoline prices are dropping.  Gasoline prices have started to fall as a result of a drop in demand and an increase in supply.  On the demand side, total fuel consumption is down 8.99% in the four week period ending Sept. 23 compared with the same period a year earlier.    Supplies are increasing as the energy infrastructure (pipelines, offshore platforms, and refineries) that was damaged by Katrina and Rita comes back on line.  Further increasing supply, more shipments of foreign oil arrive in the United States. As a result, crude oil prices are at a two-month low.

2) Natural gas prices are at a record high as we head into winter.  Natural gas has doubled in price since June and is now almost triple its price of a year ago.  Nineteen percent of our nation's natural gas comes from the gulf coast and 72% of the natural gas production is still off-line as a result of Rita and Katrina.

3) In the U.S. we have a lot of natural gas and oil reserves, but we have failed to explore them because of perceived environmental problems.  There have been fights in Congress over more natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico because Florida has been opposed to more natural gas development.  The current energy crunch might be the changed needed for more development in the Gulf and on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  The WSJ is reporting that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Rep. Richard Pombo, the chairman of the House Committee on Resources are nearing an agreement that would allow states to waive moratoria on the drilling for natural gas off their shorelines.  In the Senate, Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is also eyeing new OCS plans, and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) offered a bill early this week that allows states to petition for new leasing off their coasts and provides for revenue-sharing. New OCS drilling plans fell short during energy bill negotiations but have been revived in recent weeks.     

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a nonpartisan individual membership organization of state legislators, with over 2,400 state legislator members from all fifty states, and 97 former members serving in the US Congress.

To schedule an interview with Daniel Simmons, please contact Stella Melley at 202-431-6461.