A new nonprofit organization has been established to research, educate and advocate for Alabama’s energy industry.

The Energy Institute of Alabama (EIA), chaired by Alabama Speaker of the House Emeritus Seth Hammett, brings together experts from the energy sector who will work to ensure strong, commonsense policies are put into place to protect the consumer, good-paying industry jobs and the future of clean, reliable and affordable energy.

“We want to encourage public support for the energy industry in our state,” Hammett said. “Our group intends to be a clearinghouse for strong research that will separate political fancy from reasonable policies that benefit the consumer and the industry.

“We have brought together some great thinkers who have experience and can provide clear and intelligent judgments on topics ranging from research and development to power plant management to nuclear energy to alternative sources of power to coal plants and gas pipelines,” he said.

Enacting government policies that affect Alabama’s energy sector and consumers without sufficient fact-based discussion can bring devastating consequences to our economy. The EIA’s mission is to promote reliable, affordable and clean energy to help grow our economy, create high-paying jobs and build public support for our state’s energy industry.

Former Alabama House Speaker Seth Hammett, left, with Dr. Corey Tyree of Southern Research in Birmingham are key leaders of the Energy Institute of Alabama. (contributed)

“I’m excited to join my esteemed colleagues as a senior policy adviser for the EIA,” said Dr. Corey Tyree, director of Energy & Environment, Analytics and Strategic Growth at Southern Research. “Our goal will be to provide factual, data-driven information for every sector of the energy industry here in Alabama, while educating the public on the importance of the industry to the state, advocate for energy policies that will enhance the economy of Alabama, and support economic development.”

The institute’s website will be a source of materials for students, the general public, policy makers and those involved in the industry.

EIA also intends to sponsor events that shine a light on Alabama’s robust energy sector, bringing industry leaders together to share information that can move the state and the industry forward.

The Energy Institute of Alabama’s mission is to promote reliable, affordable and clean energy to help grow our economy, create high-paying jobs, and build public support for Alabama’s energy industry.