In an October 23 article about the "[d]ebate over the value of natural gas under western Colorado's Roan Plateau," The Denver Post again misleadingly identified the energy-industry group Americans for American Energy (AAE) as “a Golden-based energy advocacy group.” As Colorado Media Matters noted, an October 17 Post article also called AAE “an energy-advocacy group,” despite previously reporting that it was created to “advocate for increased energy development and less regulation.” Further, in a May 29 article about AAE, the Anchorage Daily News (accessed through the Nexis database) called the organization “an empty front, set up by a political ad agency” rather than a “grassroots-based group.”

The Post similarly identified AAE only as an “an energy-advocacy group” in an October 17 article about AAE's involvement in a study projecting economic benefits from natural gas drilling on the Roan Plateau.

From Steve Raabe's article “State agency to join debate on Roan: The Department of Natural Resources says it will assess the area's energy reserves, the focus of a drilling controversy,” in the October 23 edition of The Denver Post:

Debate over the value of natural gas under western Colorado's Roan Plateau is about to attract another voice.

In the wake of controversy last week from a pro-energy-industry report over the Roan's potential, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources said Monday it will issue its own assessment of the area's energy cache.

But the state agency is keeping observers guessing on what it will say until next month.

The department will include an analysis of how much gas could be recovered as part of its written comment to a federal proposal for drilling under the Roan. The state report to the Bureau of Land Management is due Nov. 10.

Americans for American Energy, a Golden-based energy advocacy group, had said last week that it would ask for an independent state study of Roan's potential, after the group's report was attacked by critics as overestimating the value of the plateau's natural gas.

[...]

The energy advocacy group said last week that gas production on the plateau could bring revenue to Colorado of up to $6 billion over 30 years. Critics, including environmentalists and a mineral royalty accountant, said the value could be 80 percent less.

As the Rocky Mountain News reported in an August 3 article headlined “Energy lobby marshals forces: Oil, gas drillers preparing to fight for rights on Roan,” before assuming his position as president and CEO of AAE, Greg Schnacke was executive director of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association -- the main lobbying organization for Colorado's oil and gas producers.

The News further reported that AAE “has raised tens of thousands of dollars to launch a campaign in the coming weeks to push for drilling on the Roan” and at one point recruited Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman (R) as its chairman.

In addition, Wyoming's Casper Star-Tribune reported September 13 that AAE itself sparked a controversy when it falsely claimed that Wyoming Gov. David Freudenthal (D) supported its agenda. According to the article, Freudenthal earlier had supported the organization's purported educational goals, but later “disagreed with the notion that the main goal of the organization is to educate the public on energy matters.” The Star-Tribune also reported concerns that AAE is merely a “front group” for the energy development industry:

Sheldon Rampton, research director for Center for Media & Democracy, said Americans for American Energy appears to be a “front group” for corporations that wish reshape the issue of balancing energy development and the environment.

“One thing that strikes me is their Web site goes so far as to say, quite unambiguously, is the people who oppose the exploitation of oil shale are in league with terrorists,” Rampton said. “It's a very intentional campaign to reframe environmental issues to the war on terror.”

John Vanvig, organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, said there's absolutely nothing wrong with a group lobbying for public policy. But it is unsavory for a group to misrepresent its true intentions.

“It sounds to me like [AAE President Jim] Sims and Schnacke hope to get Americans, and Westerners in particular, to believe that more Powder River Basin coal and coal-bed methane will mean less oil imports from Saudi Arabia or Venezuela,” Vanvig said. “And they plan to form 'mini-coalitions' like 'Wyoming Educators for American Energy' to help them pull this wool over everyone's eyes.”

Further, as the Associated Press reported on September 13, Sims “is the former director of communications for President Bush's National Energy Policy Task Force,” which was embroiled in controversy over Vice President Dick Cheney's refusal to disclose details relating to the role oil and gas industry figures played in the task force.