The Industrial Energy Users of America (ICEA) has urged approval of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in a filing with FERC on January 9. ICEA is a Washington-based association of manufacturing companies claiming combined annual sales of $1 trillion and over 1.5 million employees.
The ICEA filing asks FERC to dismiss “a significant environmental activist movement who call for and support the ‘keep it in the ground’ mantra. Their objective is to force their will upon consumers of natural gas in order to stop the use of fossil fuels for other alternatives, such as the exclusive production of electricity from solar or wind.”
The statement goes on to argue that “activists should not be able to deny this fundamental service of natural gas supply to consumers in the states. Activists’ motives are impractical and dangerous to the safety of people living in the states. Imagine forcing homeowners to be solely dependent upon renewable energy during severe weather conditions. If this pipeline is not built, activists will not be held accountable for the results.”