"The Energy Poverty Awareness Center, which fought climate legislation in Maryland, has ties to a group that is partly funded by oil and gas companies."
"When Maryland state lawmakers proposed a major climate bill last year, they faced opposition from a surprising figure: ex-NFL player Gary Baxter.
The former Baltimore Ravens cornerback argued that the measure, which would have banned the use of natural gas furnaces and water heaters in new buildings statewide, would raise energy costs for Black households. “Affordable energy is vital for communities of color,” Baxter wrote in testimony on behalf of the Energy Poverty Awareness Center (EnPAC), an advocacy group he leads.
What Baxter didn’t mention is that his advocacy group has ties to the natural gas industry, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Consumer Energy Alliance, a Houston-based organization that is partly funded by gas utilities and other fossil fuel companies, helped launch EnPAC and shape its initial agenda.
Consumer Energy Alliance has also supported the National Hispanic Energy Council, which has asserted that gas projects help lower energy bills for Hispanic households, according to the documents. The materials were obtained via a public records request by the Energy and Policy Institute, an investigative research organization that says it works “to expose attacks on renewable energy and counter misinformation by fossil fuel and utility interests.”"
Maxine Joselow reports for the Washington Post January 13, 2025.
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