America's Natural Gas Alliance

This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

Background

America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) is the public relations arm of the oil and gas fracking industry in the USA. It:

exists to promote the economic, environmental and national security benefits of greater use of clean, abundant, domestic natural gas. We represent 31 of North America's largest independent natural gas exploration and production companies and the leading developers of the shale plays now transforming the clean energy landscape. As we make decisions about our clean energy future, ANGA seeks to inform and engage all stakeholders about the opportunities presented by greater use of this clean energy resource-improving air quality, adding jobs to our economy and enhancing our energy security. Through ANGA, the natural gas community is standing together to promote the benefits of natural gas to a wide range of audiences, including electric power utilities, non-governmental organizations, federal and state policymakers and regulators, as well as the consumers and communities who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this new age of natural gas abundance.

Affiliations

According to The Nation Magazine's analysis of ANGA's 2012 tax returns, ANGA:

• gave $1 million in funding to "Truthland," a pro-fracking film released to fend off Josh Fox's "Gasland: Part II."
• gave ASGK Strategies, a political consulting firm founded by White House advisor David Axelrod $25,000,
• gave $864,673 to Edventures Partners, an education curriculum company that has partnered with ANGA to produce classroom materials that promote the use of natural gas."
• paid the Glover Park Group over $2.9 million for 'research/advertising' and Dewey Square Group $738,957 for 'grassroots communications.,' "Both firms are run by mostly former Clinton administration officials." ANGA donated another $6,500 to Dewey Square for general operational support. Lee Fang of the Nation says that although Glover Park Group is well-known as a lobbying firm, the company did not register for its work for ANGA last year.
• gave $25,000 to Environmental Media Association, "a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the power of the entertainment industry and the media to educate the global public on environmental issues and motivate sustainable lifestyles"
• gave $25,000 to Third Way, a centrist Democratic research think tank
• gave $8,500 to America's Promise Alliance, an education nonprofit founded by Colin Powell
• $250,000 to IHS Global, a research company that produced a report last year claiming that the fracking industry will support 1.7 million new jobs.

People

• President and CEO is Marty Durbin, nephew of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the US Senate's Majority Whip.
• Erica Bowman - Vice President, Research and Policy Analysis
• Celia Fischer - Vice President, Communications
• Dan Whitten - Senior Director, Communications
• Sam Harper - Director, Digital Strategy
• Robert Sumner - Director, Communications

Lobbyists

• Hill and Knowlton

Members

Fracking firms include Devon Energy, Apache, Noble Energy, Range Resources, XTO Energy, Southwestern Energy and Pioneer Natural Resources.

Also Ohio-based oil Cabot Oil and Gas, a company that's fought accusations of water contamination in Dimock, Pa., for the past several years'. (See Powerbase page on Fracknation)

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Publications

Articles and blogs

• Sam Harper, Do We Want Celebrities Making the Tough Decisions About Energy?, ANGA website, 20 November 2013, acc 21 November 2013

Contact

Website: http://anga.us/

Resources

• Steve Horn, Fracking Lobby ANGA's Tax Forms: Big Bucks to Media Outlets, "Other ALECs", DesmogBlog, 20 November 2013