Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
Contributor
Paul N. Cicio
Biography provided by participant
Paul N. Cicio has been the President of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) since its founding six years ago. IECA is a non-profit trade association created to promote the interests of manufacturing companies for which the availability, use and cost of energy, power or feedstock play a significant role in their ability to compete in domestic and world markets. Membership represents a diverse set of energy intensive industries including: plastics, cement, aluminum, paper, food processing, brick, chemicals, fertilizer, rubber, steel, glass, industrial gases, pharmaceutical and brewing.
Cicio is a well known consumer advocate for the industrial sector on issues related to energy and the environment and is recognized for his efforts within national and international circles. He has testified eight times before the U.S. House of Representatives; three times before the U.S. Senate; and twice before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on issues regarding natural gas supply; natural gas market oversight; climate policy and energy efficiency. He has also intervened at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
In 2008, the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission appointed Cicio to the newly created Energy Markets Advisory Committee (EMAC) representing industrial energy consumers.
In 2006 and again in 2008, the Secretary of the Interior appointed Cicio to the U.S. Department of Interior Outer Continental Shelf Policy Advisory Committee. In 2007, the Secretary of Energy appointed him to the National Coal Council, an advisory council to the Secretary. In both appointments, Cicio became the first energy consumer advocate.
Cicio moved to Washington DC from Houston, Texas in 1991. Since that time he has served in several leadership positions within a host of trade associations that include the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council, the Electricity Consumers Resource Council and the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers. Leadership positions in European trade associations include the International Chamber of Commerce; the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD; and the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers - World.
Previous to IECA, Cicio was employed by The Dow Chemical Company where he held a number of diverse responsibilities including: hydrocarbons and energy global issues management and federal government affairs, hydrocarbons and energy senior commercial manager, marketing manager, district sales manager, product sales manager. He retired from Dow Chemical with almost 30 years of service.
Cicio graduated from Youngstown State University with a BS in Business Administration and Economics.
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