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The National Commission on Energy Policy

The National Commission on Energy Policy is funded by a $10 million grant from the following foundations: the Energy Foundation; the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; Pew Charitable Trusts; John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. The Commission was formally announced in November 2002.

The goal of the National Commission on Energy Policy is to "develop a long‑term energy policy that enhances our national security, strengthens our economy, and protects the global environment and public health."  The Commission will meet regularly and issue its final recommendations after the 2004 Presidential election.

The need for such a Commission is apparent after a similar attempt by Vice President Dick Cheney was widely discredited because large energy companies like Enron were provided private access to Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group and were therefore able to influence the outcome of the policy proposals. Cheney is criticized for refusing to grant similar access to consumer organization or groups concerned with public health.

It is therefore incredible that the 16-member National Commission on Energy Policy has not only placed energy corporation lobbyists on the Commission itself, but the Commission has only one member—Sharon Nelson, a late addition to the Commission—representing the needs of energy consumers and a limited number of individuals concerned with protecting public health. Of the 16 members, ten have direct financial ties to energy corporations.

Most disturbing is that the five foundations which provided the $10 million to finance the Commission characterize the group as "bipartisan" and "balanced." Although there is a balance of Democrats and Republicans, party affiliation does not represent an accurate barometer of sound energy policy. Indeed, a large majority of Democrat and Republican Commissioners have significant financial interests in energy corporations, presenting a conflict of interest.

Ten of the 16 Commissioners have significant financial interests in energy corporations, by either serving in senior management, sitting on boards of energy corporations, and/or collecting significant lobbying revenue from energy companies: John W. Rowe (President, Chairman & CEO, Exelon); William K. Reilly (President & CEO, Aqua International); Frank Henry Habicht II (Principal and co-founder, Capital E); Martin B. Zimmerman (VP for Corporate Affairs, Ford Motor Co.); Archie W. Dunham (chairman of the board, ConocoPhillips); Paul L. Joskow (board of directors, National Grid); Susan F. Tierney (board of directors, Catalytica Energy Systems); Linda Stuntz (her lobbying firm received $3.7 million since 2001 from energy corporations); and Philip R. Sharp (serves as a senior advisor to two lobbying firms with extensive energy corporation contracts, Lexecon and Van Ness Feldman). In addition to their service on the boards of energy corporations, Tierney and Joskow collect significant income from lobbying and consulting services from energy corporations.

Five of the Commissioners served in Republican administrations or otherwise have strong ties to the party. Rowe gave 77% of his $110,000 in personal campaign contributions since 1999 to Republican candidates, and his company Exelon gave 64% of its $2.9 million in campaign contributions over that same time period to Republicans. Reilly headed the EPA in the first Bush Administration and gave 100% of his $15,000 in personal campaign contributions to Republicans since 1999. Lundquist served as executive director of Dick Cheney=s National Energy Policy Development Group. Stuntz was a deputy energy secretary in the first Bush Administration. Dunham gave 98% of his $12,050 in personal campaign contributions to Republicans, and his company ConocoPhillips gave 79% of its $2 million in campaign contributions to Republicans. In addition, Dunham is on the board of trustees of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation. Habicht served in both the Reagan and Bush administrations, and gave 90% of his $10,000 in campaign contributions since 1999 to Republicans.

Six of the Commissioners -- Tierney, Sharp, John P. Holdren, Leo W. Gerard, Rodney G. Ellis and Mario J. Molina -- have ties to Democrats. Two of these also have strong ties to energy corporations: Tierney and Sharp.

Three of the Commissioners have direct ties to some of the five foundations funding the effort. Tierney and Sharp each serve on the board of directors of The Energy Foundation, and Holdren serves on the board of directors of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The National Commission on Energy Policy is the brainchild of Jason Grumet, who currently serves as Executive Director of the Commission. Until April 2002, Grumet served as executive director of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, a non‑profit organization of eight northeast air quality state agencies.

Also see:
Members of the National Commission on Energy Policy 
A chart containing biographical information about the Members of the Commission

more resources

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