SAMPLE ADVOCACY EFFORTS
ATMOS ENERGY
This sample advocacy campaign demonstrates how effective energy messaging can advance environmental progress while keeping affordability and reliability front and center for consumers.
Using Colorado as a real-world example, the campaign frames emissions reduction as a success story driven by practical policy, a balanced energy mix, and price stability - showing that cleaner energy works best when it protects household budgets and ensures dependable service.
By grounding the conversation in data, consumer impacts, and everyday energy needs, the campaign positions affordability as essential to sustaining public support for long-term climate goals - an approach directly aligned with Atmos’ commitment to delivering cleaner energy solutions without cost shocks for the families and communities it serves.
BLOG POSTS | LTE PITCHES
BLOG POST #1 | LTE-PITCH
Cleaner Energy Without the Cost Shock: Why Affordability Matters in Colorado’s Progress
This blog uses Colorado as a real-world example to show that emissions reductions, affordability, and energy reliability can move forward together. It highlights measurable environmental progress while reinforcing the importance of stable energy costs and dependable service for families and businesses. By emphasizing practical solutions and a balanced energy mix, the piece makes the case that clean energy policies are most effective when they protect household budgets and reflect real-world energy needs. The content is designed to serve a dual purpose—functioning as both an owned blog and a streamlined pitch for placement as a Letter to the Editor (LTE) to extend the campaign’s reach through earned media.
BLOG POST #2 | LTE-PITCH
Why So Many Colorado Families Can’t Get Ahead: Energy Bills Are Making Housing Unaffordable
This blog frames rising energy costs as a hidden driver of Colorado’s housing affordability crisis, showing how higher utility bills strain family budgets alongside rent and mortgage payments. It emphasizes that environmental progress must account for real household impacts, particularly for renters, seniors, and working families who spend a disproportionate share of income on energy. By highlighting the role of reliable, affordable energy—especially natural gas—in stabilizing costs, the piece reinforces that housing stability depends on balanced energy policy. The content is designed for dual use as both an owned blog and a concise LTE pitch to elevate the affordability message through earned media.
SAMPLE DIGITALS
CONSUMER ADVOCACY EFFORTS
CEA SOUTHWEST
This hub provides CEA members with a centralized view of ongoing work across the Southwest. It brings together regional media engagement, research, consumer education, and digital outreach supporting policies focused on energy affordability, grid reliability, and practical solutions for Southwest communities.
Members can use this space to track regional activity, reference published materials, and understand how CEA is engaging consumers, stakeholders, and policymakers on energy issues affecting the Southwest.
REPORTS AND INSIGHTS
Arizona, first in nation to outlaw city-level bans on specific energy types, embraces natural gas, solar and all energy to fuel economy States with restrictive energy policies losing investment race.
“Powering Progress: How Natural Gas Fuels Colorado’s Communities,” highlights the multiple different ways natural gas contributes to the state. Natural gas provides 1/4 of the state’s energy, heats 7/10 homes and has helped Colorado reduce emissions by nearly 60% from 2011-2020.
“Fueling New Mexico’s Future”, highlights the multiple ways natural gas contributes to the state, starting with fact that natural gas and oil delivered $13 billion to the state in 2024.
CAMPAIGN SNAPSHOTS
POWERING PROGRESS - COLORADO
COLORADO | 2025
The Powering Progress campaign in Colorado was a data-driven, consumer-focused initiative led by Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) to educate communities and decision-makers on the affordability, reliability, and economic benefits of critical natural gas infrastructure. Running through July 2025, the campaign centered on working families, Hispanic communities, and key Colorado industries—such as healthcare, agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing—highlighting how reliable natural gas pipelines helped lower energy costs, protect jobs, support small businesses, and ensure dependable energy during extreme weather and peak demand. Through targeted county-level research, digital and community outreach, bilingual messaging in partnership with the National Hispanic Energy Council, and amplification of local voices, Powering Progress reinforced the role of modern energy infrastructure in sustaining Colorado’s economy, household budgets, and long-term energy reliability.
KNOW THE VALUE - NEW MEXICO
NEW MEXICO | 2026
The Know the Value campaign in New Mexico was a fact-based public education and advocacy initiative led by Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) to connect energy development to the everyday economy and quality of life across the state. Adapted from the successful Colorado program, the campaign highlighted how oil and natural gas supported New Mexico’s core industries—tourism, healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and emerging sectors—while funding public services, strengthening household affordability, and sustaining jobs in both urban and rural communities. Through localized storytelling, in-state video production, integrated digital and traditional media, and partnerships with trusted local voices and the National Hispanic Energy Council, Know the Value elevated real New Mexican perspectives, reinforced public confidence in responsible energy development, and countered misinformation by grounding the conversation in economic data, consumer impacts, and community experience
IN THE MEDIA
With more than 195,000 jobs and roughly $47 billion in economic output each year, it not only feeds the state – it feeds the region and beyond. And like any industry built on tight margins and year-round operations, it depends on one thing to stay competitive: affordable, reliable energy.
Matthew Gonzales, executive director of Consumer Energy Alliance’s southwest region, says natural gas is a good fit for the energy needs of data centers, and Colorado should leverage this natural resource to lure more data centers to the state.
A report from the Consumer Energy Alliance cautions that overly restrictive policies on fossil fuels could undermine Colorado’s competitiveness. The oil and gas industry’s contributions remain significant:
- Sustains approximately 324,970 jobs.
- Contributes $57.5 billion to the state’s GDP (10.9% of the economy).
- Natural gas provides 30% of Colorado’s electricity and heats 75% of homes.
