Document NmkNmDe1G0edeEOyyErjb93R

To: leila_getto@ios.doi.gov[leila_getto@ios.doi.gov] From: Mike Sommers, API Sent: 2018-08-08T09:26:11-04:00 Importance: Normal Subject: [EXTERNAL] Nuclear/Coal Bailouts a Bad Deal for Consumers Received: 2018-08-08T09:26:14-04:00 Click to view this email in a browser August 8, 2018 Dear Leila, Natural gas generates the electricity that powers nearly one in three U.S. homes, providing affordability for consumers and reliability and resilience for power generators. Now the leading source of electricity generation, clean natural gas also delivers environmental benefits, driving carbon emissions to 25-year lows. But a proposal under consideration by the Department of Energy could disrupt the competitive markets that have worked so well for consumers. Struggling to compete, unprofitable nuclear and coal plants are pushing for bailouts. It's a costly proposition. According to a recent study, the price tag for bailing out uncompetitive plants could reach $17 billion per year. Whether through increased taxes or higher electricity rates, U.S. homes and businesses should not be on the hook for propping up specific fuel sources. And power providers should be free to make their fuel purchases based on what's best for consumers, not on government mandates. As American Enterprise Institute scholar and University of Michigan economics professor Mark Perry puts it, the bailout proposal "is disconnected not only from the real interest of electricity users but also from the efficient and cost-effective operation of the electricity system itself." Power grid operators agree, and they have made clear that bailout proponents' arguments don't add up. PJM Interconnection, which manages power markets in 13 states, has stated: "This is not an issue of reliability ... Nothing we have seen to date indicates that an emergency would result from the generator retirements." Multiple fuels - including natural gas, nuclear, coal, hydro, wind and solar - have a role to play in the power system. But the competitive market, not government intervention, is the best way to ensure affordable, reliable power for American families and businesses. Mike Sommers President & CEO API Cleaner Fuels, Cleaner Air EPA's latest air quality report shows the air Americans breathe is cleaner than it has been in more than four decades - with increased use of natural gas and cleaner motor fuels playing leading roles. Learn more about the report and the technological advances that have made it possible for the U.S, to lead the world in improving air quality. Follow our Blog to stay up-to-date To stay up-to-date on the latest energy-related news, there is no better place to check than the Energy Tomorrow Blog. About API: API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API's more than 600 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation's energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans. To learn more about API and the value of oil and natural gas, please visit API.org. Click to view this email in a browser If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe Mike Sommers, API 1220 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005