A new energy lobbying group, Americans for American Energy, said it inadvertently implied Gov. Dave Freudenthal is a supporter of its agenda.

"That's not true, and we were wrong to make any such implication, however unintentional," Americans for American Energy President Jim Sims wrote in an e-mail to the Star-Tribune this week.

"We made a mistake in characterizing the Governor's views on these issues, and I expect that I will get taken out to the woodshed for a healthy whipping as a result," Sims wrote.

Americans for American Energy implied Freudenthal's support in an e-mail sent to undisclosed recipients. In the e-mail, the group's incoming president and CEO, Greg Schnacke, said "WY Governor Dave Freudenthal, and other elected officials, have been very enthusiastic about our launching this effort."

Freudenthal responded to Sims in a letter on Wednesday.

"In light of highly inappropriate assertions made by Americans for American Energy, I am withdrawing my support for the organization and ending any relationship between the State of Wyoming and AAE," Freudenthal wrote.

Americans for American Energy is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit lobbying group, and does not have to disclose financial contributions.

In his e-mail to potential supporters, Schnacke wrote, "We are not limited in terms of what we can do on the lobbying front."

Schnacke wrote that the group's lobbying message is based on polling data that suggest American energy in place of foreign energy "resonates very strongly with nearly all demographic sectors."

Schnacke continued, "When coupled with messages about 'making America stronger and more secure,' and 'stop sending our money to foreign nations that are hostile to America,' our core messaging is highly effective in moving the public toward a position of greater support for more energy production here at home."

Sims told the Star-Tribune that Americans for American Energy unabashedly supports more development of domestic energy resources. It only goofed when it implied Freudenthal's support and without his knowledge.

"In fact, Governor Freudenthal has been increasingly concerned about how and where oil and gas production (has) been occurring in some places in Wyoming," Sims wrote to the Star-Tribune.

Freudenthal disagreed with the notion that the main goal of the organization is to educate the public on energy matters.

"The September 10th communication from AAE President Greg Schnacke to unspecified recipients contains a description of initiatives which I wholeheartedly disagree with on a number of levels," Freudenthal wrote in his letter to Sims. "First, I was not consulted on these initiatives, which are in no way connected to the public education efforts which were the basis of my earlier support for the organization."

Americans for American Energy lists Wyoming state Sen. Bill Vasey, D-Rawlins, as its chairman, and Utah state Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, as its vice chairman.

Vasey was not available for comment Wednesday.

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 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."

In a phone interview, Sims reiterated that the goal of Americans for American Energy is to educate the public about energy matters and to lobby in favor of all forms of energy production, including renewables.

"AAE is going to be aggressive across all energy technologies. We want more of all energy production," Sims said. "That also includes energy efficiency efforts."

Sims said he could not list the organization's financial supporters because its membership enrollment efforts had only just begun.

Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@casperstartribune.net.

The e-mail

Here's the e-mail from Americans for American Energy's Greg Schnacke, to which Gov. Dave Freudenthal objected:

A Powerful New Oil and Gas Campaign

I will soon be taking over as President and CEO of Americans for American Energy, a non-profit grassroots education and lobbying coalition that will be very active on oil and gas issues in individual producing states and on federal issues. I thought you might appreciate a quick heads-up on what AAE's plans are for the coming months. We are going to be doing a lot!

You may recall when the concept for this group was unveiled earlier this year by Jim Sims of Policy Communications. WY Governor Dave Freudenthal, and other elected officials, have been very enthusiastic about our launching this effort.

1) The Organization

You can see our website here. AAE is a 501(c)(4) non-profit that is led by a Board of Directors comprised of several pro-energy-development state legislators from Western states. Wyoming State Senator Bill Vasey, a Democrat, is our Chair. Utah State Representative Aaron Tilton, a Republican, is our Vice Chair. We are in the process of building out the Board with officials from other producing states. As a 501(c)(4), there is no disclosure of any financial contributions made to AAE. And, we are not limited in terms of what we can do on the lobbying front.

We are working closely with the leadership of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to build out strong relationships with State legislative leaders across the West on our agenda.

2) Our Messaging

As you may recall, polling and focus group work done over the past year and a half has shown that the "we want more American energy and less foreign energy" message resonates very strongly with nearly all demographic sectors. When coupled with messages about "making America stronger and more secure" and "stop sending our money to foreign nations that are hostile to America," our core messaging is highly effective in moving the public toward a position of greater support for more energy production here at home.

3) Our Initiatives

We will be launching a series of aggressive grassroots, media, public education and lobbying campaigns in the coming weeks on a variety of issues, including the following. Our campaigns will include production and distribution of video and radio spots, the first of which you'll see this week.

a.. Supporting production in the NOPR lands of the Roan Plateau

b.. Opposing the anti-production elements of the recently passed U.S. House "energy bill"

c.. Pushing back on over-regulation of produced CBM water in Colorado

d.. Supporting greater access to Outer Continental Shelf areas

e.. Supporting greater access on Alaska's Coastal Plain

f.. Supporting development of oil shale resources

g.. Pushing for administrative / regulatory level reforms of NEPA reforms

h.. Pushing against efforts to institute "mini-NEPAs" at the state level

i.. Pushing back on over-regulation of air emissions from oil and gas operations

4) AAE Mini-Coalitions

We are now organizing a series of state-specific "mini-coalitions" (e.g., "Colorado Ranchers for American Energy," "Wyoming Educators for American Energy," "Utah Seniors for American Energy," etc. More on this as these coalitions come together.

5) Consumers for Affordable & Reliable Energy Supplies (CARES)

We are also working to organize a series of state-specific consumer coalitions (e.g., Colorado Consumers for Affordable & Reliable Energy Supplies, or CARES). More on this in the weeks ahead.

I would greatly welcome your counsel and support as we proceed in this efforts. With Ken Wonstolen (of Fulbright & Jaworski) and Jim Sims, I have assembled a detailed operational plan outlining how we intend to proceed in this effort, including how these efforts will dovetail and support the operations of all of the state, regional and federal oil and gas trades. If you want a copy of this proposal, please let me know.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you and your colleauges.

Greg Schnacke

President & CEO

Americans For American Energy