Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth (AEEG) was created by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and is led by a VIP list of companies that oppose clean energy and climate legislation. AEEG has organized numerous climate change "dialogues" with state-level Chambers of Commerce, which typically include industry-sponsored economic impact studies which paint doom-and-gloom scenarios of massive job losses and higher energy costs (example here), presentations that raise doubts about the science, and presentations on the difficulty of doing anything about global warming. (However, it is worth noting that even these slanted studies actually show healthy economic growth under federal climate policy, but these results are not presented to the public.)

American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is the number one front group for Big Coal. Created through the renaming and merger of two former front groups, Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) and Center for Energy and Economic Development (CEED), ACCCE members and funders include a number of companies directly and indirectly reliant upon coal as a major source of revenue. ACCCE reportedly spent $45 million on advertising last year, but its total expenses remain undisclosed because the organization has not filed its tax return for 2008. The organization's lobbying expenses in 2009 have been left murky by a revision of their disclosure report which removed more than $10 million from their reported expenditures on federal lobbying (see ACCCE's 2nd quarter 2009 reports before and after). Already infamous for its campaign featuring animated lumps of coal singing Christmas carols revised to tout coal's virtues, ACCCE's most recent embarrassment has blown into a full-fledged scandal: Bonner & Associates, Washington DC's most famous 'astroturf' consulting firms, was forced to admit that it had produced and sent forged letters to members of Congress opposing clean energy and climate legislation, on behalf of ACCCE. The scandal has resulted in Rep. Edward Markey's House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to investigate ACCCE's campaign.

American Council on Capital Formation (ACCF) has partnered twice with the National Association of Manufacturers to produce and disseminate distorted economic analyses that overstate the costs of climate legislation and which have been prominently featured at US Chamber of Commerce-organized "forums" on climate over the past year. The ACCF/NAM studies have been credibly debunked more than once.

American Energy Alliance (AEA) is a 501(c)4 political action group the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute formed to fight the Clinton administration's BTU tax proposal in 1993, and in recent years funded by ExxonMobil and Koch Industries. Now coupled with the 501(c)(3) Institute for Energy Research and run by Thomas Pyle, (former aide to Republican Tom DeLay and former lobbyist for Koch Industries and the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association) veteran oil lobbyist. AEA has been active in the climate debate, from running ads repeating false claims about the costs of climate legislation to trashing clean energy at town halls around the US - this time using false claims about the dangers of clean energy jobs. Check out the companion entry on its sister organization, the Institute for Energy Research.

American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has a long track record of distorting the science and solutions of climate change. Its arguments tend to de-emphasize the environmental and economic risks of climate change, exaggerate the costs of addressing the problem and question the value of putting a policy in place at all, as in this recent Wall Street Journal oped by AEI fellow Steven Hayward.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a front-group founded and funded by members of the family that owns Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-held companies in the world, with $100 billion in sales and 70,000 employees. Various members of the Koch family make up of the most consistent sources of funding of opposition to clean energy, including $1,000,000 to AFP in recent years. Beginning in 2008, AFP organized Astroturf "hot air balloon" events to highlight their opposition to clean energy and climate legislation, a tactic they have resumed this summer. This Astroturf campaign has been repeatedly exposed, including this recent item in the Wall Street Journal's blog Environmental Capital.

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) denies the science of global warming and opposes federal policies to address it. ATR focused on costs and denial in their 2008 "Cost of Government" report.

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is one-stop shopping for elected officials interested in perusing the wares of an array of Koch-funded opposition organizations including IER, ACCF, Mercatus and other sources. ALEC publishes its own materials as well, including a "Climate Change Overview for State Legislators" which downplays the science and risks of global warming and exaggerates the costs of addressing it. The Overview was written by Daniel Simmons, who moved from ALEC to become AEA's Director of State Affairs. Simmons was at the Mercatus Institute before ALEC and is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law.

American Solutions for Winning the Future, chaired by Newt Gingrich, been organizing against clean energy for over a year. Peabody Energy, the world's largest coal company, has contributed $500,000 to support American Solutions' activities. The group ran a misleading TV advertisement against the American Clean Energy and Security Act shortly before it was passed by the US House in June 2009, organized an email-drive targeting members of Congress and continues to collect signatures and mobilize its followers to oppose clean energy and climate legislation.

Atlas Economic Research Foundation has cosponsored Heartland Institute events dedicated to the proposition that climate change is not a crisis and has supported organizations such as the John Locke Foundation which has attacked efforts by state elected officials working on climate solutions with the Center for Climate Strategies.

Capital Research Center runs the GreenWatch.org website collects information on non-profit environmental advocates, and is heavily biased against climate science.

Cato Institute tends to focus on disputing the science behind global warming and questioning the rationale for taking action. The organization's 2009 "Handbook for Policymakers" on global warming begins with the suggestions that Congress should "pass no legislation restricting emissions of carbon dioxide" and "inform the public about how little climate change would be prevented by proposed legislation." Robert Bradley, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, is also a founder and the CEO of the Institute for Energy Research.

In 2007 the Cato Foundation gave $120,000 to New Hope Environmental Services, a "an advocacy science consulting firm" founded and run by long-time climate science denier Patrick J. Michaels, who uses New Hope to public his World Climate Report, a sort of ongoing journal of denial of climate science. Michaels is also a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, which paid him $98,000 to write a book "The Satanic Gases" with fellow skeptic Robert Balling. Over the years, Michaels' work has been financed by a number of coal and polluter interests, including the Western Fuels Association, the Intermountain Rural Electric Association, and others.

Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change is run by Sherwood Idso and his sons Craig and Keith, long-time climate science deniers. The Center runs the science denial site CO2 Science.

Coalition for Affordable American Energy (CAAE) is a coalition of more than 180 trade associations sponsored by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. CAAE is chiefly responsible for a misleading study projecting job losses and increased energy costs, under an Obama energy plan, and they won praise from President George W. Bush for their support of offshore domestic oil drilling.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942 to champion civil rights. Its chairman and CEO is Roy Innis, also on the board of the conservative Hudson Institute which receives funding from Koch Industries. Between 2003 and 2006, ExxonMobil donated more than $275,000 to CORE, including for projects described as "Global Climate Change Environmental Outreach." CORE has focused on opposing clean energy and climate legislation by claiming it would raise energy prices disproportionately for minorities. CORE's original founders have criticized the organization for "renting out" its reputation to companies like ExxonMobil.

Energy Citizens is a "grass roots" campaign against climate and energy legislation which has organized rallies in the Midwest and South during the August Congressional recess. The Energy Citizens coalition includes business and industry groups and conservative advocacy organizations like FreedomWorks; Greenpeace USA recently exposed Energy Citizens' funding ties to the oil industry, including the American Petroleum Institute.

Fraser Institute publishes in-depth critiques of climate science, including a 110-page report attacking the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment report. They also offer lesson plans and educational materials designed to encourage children to be skeptical of mainstream climate science.

FreedomWorks is an Astroturf campaign organization run by Dick Armey, former Republican House Majority Leader and noted corporate lobbyist. FreedomWorks has been a driving force behind the anti-healthcare, anti-tax, anti-clean energy opposition groups showing up at town halls and rallies across the states, and it has asked its "grass roots activists" to send a letter to members of Congress.

Frontiers of Freedom has hosted some 55 articles on its website focusing on climate science denial and high estimates of the cost of climate policy. FF reinforced the Tax Foundations' characterization of cap-and-trade as a tax on the poor and middle class. FF also smears climate science and spreads typical climate disinformation.

George C. Marshall Institute produced a "Cocktail Conversation Guide" on with suggestions for pithily denying the dangers of global warming in any social setting.

Heritage Foundation is a mainstay of misinformation and exaggeration when it comes to climate and policy issues. In the last couple of years, Heritage has misinterpreted of the impacts of global warming on the US economy, twisted news reports to justify scary claims about 'climate taxes', issued embarrassingly bad economic analyses and deceptive presentations, and released exaggerated claims about economic ruin in general and in the agricultural sector should Congress pass climate legislation. This is only a representative sample. Heritage Foundation also teamed up with IER to promote the widely debunked "Spanish" study.

The Independence Institute based in Colorado has hosted events dismissing the "Cult of Climate Change" and featuring Cato Institute fellows.

The Independent Women's Forum (IWM) spread misinformation on climate science and touts the work of climate deniers. IWM is run by Nancy Pfotenhauer (formerly Nancy Mitchell), Koch Industries' chief in-house lobbyist from 1996 to 2001, when she left Koch to become the director of the IWM. In 2003, IWF affiliated itself with Americans for Prosperity, which replaced Citizens for a Sound Economy.

Institute for Energy Research (IER), a partner organization to American Energy Alliance employing the same staff, is a "think tank" that supports misinformation trashing clean energy. In 2007, ExxonMobil provided nearly 10% of the organization's budget. IER supported and disseminated a misleading report on green jobs in Spain, which has been debunked by the Spanish and now US Government, the latter of which concluded that "The primary conclusion made by the authors - policy support of renewable energy results in net jobs losses - is not supported by their work." Fun note: One of IER's directors, Steven Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute, was exposed in 2007 for attempting to pay IPCC scientists to criticize the IPCC's findings on climate science. Check out the companion entry on its sister organization, the American Energy Alliance.

Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan spreads climate change denials and smears prominent climate policy consultants.

The Manhattan Institute publishes climate science denials and has hosted Bjorn Lomborg, a favorite of climate deniers, twice in the last two years.

National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC). The NBCC and its president Harry C Alford have vigorously opposed H.R. 2454, participating in rallies and testifying before Congress. In a recent Senate hearing, Alford recently called Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer a racist for her comments about NAACP's support of the climate change legislation.

National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) disseminates climate science denials and exaggerates the economic costs of mitigation.

Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (PRIPP), based in San Francisco, supported and funded An Inconvenient Truth...or Convenient Fiction, a film attacking the science of global warming and intended as a rebuttal to former Vice-President Al Gore's documentary. The film was produced by PRIPP Senior Fellow Steven Hayward and promoted by the Heritage Foundation. Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) touts the potential economic benefits to American farmers as a reason not to act against climate change. Richard Stroup is a Senior Fellow at PERC and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute.

Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) touts the potential economic benefits to American farmers as a reason not to act against climate change. Richard Stroup is a Senior Fellow at PERC and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute.

State Policy Network (SPN) spreads the climate science denials and misinformation of the Heartland Institute.

The Reason Foundation promotes the tenets of "Free Market Environmentalism (FME)" to argue that those who suffer from the effects of global warming have little legal or moral claim for compensation from GHG emitters.

The Tax Foundation opposed ACESA and issued a study on the costs of cap and trade legislation. Wayne Gable, a former Managing Director of Federal Affairs at Koch Industries, served as President of the Tax Foundation from 1989-1991.

Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) fellows recently wrote on why reducing global warming pollution won't work and the devastating impact the American Clean Energy and Security Act would have on all aspects of American life.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCOC). The Chamber of Commerce wouldn't ordinarily make a list of front groups since in general it is what it claims: a representative of business interests. However, in the case of the climate debate, the Chamber presents the positions of three of America's biggest coal producers as representative of the entire body, a misrepresentation that some members have complained about. In fact, nineteen of the US Chamber's board members support federal policy on climate, while only four - including those three coal companies - oppose it. The Chamber's recent calls to hold a trial on global warming science are just the latest evidence that the body has chosen to present the views of a few coal companies as representing US business in general. This analysis connects the dots between the Union Pacific Railroad (and its generous support for the Chamber and UP Director Tom Donohue, who also happens to be the U.S. Chamber President), dirty coal and the Chamber's anti-climate legislation stance.

Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) publishes articles on the business threats posed by regulation of global warming pollution, such as vulnerability to tort claims.

Young America's Foundation (YAF) publishes climate-denial creeds and promotes prominent climate-denier Chris Horner, author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism," and "A Field Guide to Climate Criminals."

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