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Beyond Extreme Energy

Parent Organization: Earthworks
Website:

beyondextremeenergy.org/
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Project of:

Earthworks
Formation:

2014

Green New Deal

Beyond Extreme Energy (BEX) is an organization that actively organizes protests against conventional energy and nuclear power, in support of environmentalist energy sources. They are best known for organizing a week long protest of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2014. 1

BEX is a fiscally sponsored project of Earthworks, an environmentalist organization that advocates for strict environmental regulations. 2

Background

Beyond Extreme Energy (BEX) actively organizes protests against fossil fuels and nuclear power, in support of wind and solar energy sources. They are best known for organizing a week long protest of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2014. 3 The group continues to protest again FERC, and their actions have included disrupting commission meetings, blocking FERC’s parking garage, and a stunt where two BEX activists scaled the awning of FERC’s headquarters in Washington, DC. 4

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 20 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. 5 An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. 6

Beyond Extreme Energy was one of more than 100 co-signatories on a November 2020 letter to the U.S. Senate that expressed opposition to S. 4897, the “American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020.” The letter stated that nuclear power “amplifies and expands the dangers of climate change” and denounced it as an example of “false solutions to the climate crisis that perpetuate our reliance on dirty energy industries.” 7

In May of 2021, Beyond Extreme Energy was one of 715 groups and businesses listed as a co-signer on a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate that referred to nuclear energy as a “dirty” form of energy production and a “significant” source of pollution. The letter asked federal lawmakers to reduce carbon emissions by creating a “renewable electricity standard” that promoted production of weather dependent power sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, but did not promote low carbon natural gas and zero carbon nuclear energy. 8

Funding

Beyond Extreme Energy is a fiscally sponsored project of Earthworks. 9

The Park Foundation, a left-of-center group known for funding environmentalist organizations, granted $20,000 to Earthworks to be specifically used for operating expenses of BEX. 10

Chorus Foundation contributed directly to BEX in 201511 and has contributed annually to Earthworks since 2013. 12 Chorus Foundation was established by left-wing activist Farhad Ebrahimi, and supports groups and movement organizations that are against fossil fuels and nuclear power. 13

People

Melinda Tuhus is a longtime environmental activist and independent journalist. She is an organizer and protester with BEX. 14

Ellen Barfield is a full time activist and a veteran protester with BEX. 15 She is the national vice president of Veterans for Peace. She sits on the boards of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the War Resisters League, and the School of the Americas Watch. 16

Michael Bagdes-Canning has worked with BEX since 2015. He is a member of the Green Party and a long time activist against fossil fuels. 17

References

  1. “Our Statement of Purpose.” Beyond Extreme Energy. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://beyondextremeenergy.org/bxe-statement-of-purpose/
  2. “Our Mission.” Earthworks. 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://earthworks.org/about/our-mission/
  3. “Our Statement of Purpose.” Beyond Extreme Energy. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://beyondextremeenergy.org/bxe-statement-of-purpose/
  4. Bade, Gavin. “FERC approves LNG terminals as anti-fossil protestors scale headquarters.” April 18, 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-approves-lng-terminals-as-anti-fossil-protestors-scale-headquarters/553066/
  5. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed August 16, 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php    >.
  6. “ The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed August 16, 2021. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
  7. “Dear Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and Members of the Committee.” November 30, 2020. Accessed August 14, 2023. https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Sign-on_S4897_OPPOSE_119-orgs-3.pdf
  8. Letter from Center for Biological Diversity et. al. to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Joe Manchin, and Rep. Frank Pallone. “RE: CONGRESS SHOULD ENACT A FEDERAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD AND REJECT GAS AND FALSE SOLUTIONS.” May 12, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/2021-5-12_600-Group-Letter-for-RES.pdf?_gl=1*1c9h3t8*_gcl_au*MTc3NjM3MTM1Mi4xNjg5OTU1MzAz
  9. “Our Mission.” Earthworks. 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://earthworks.org/about/our-mission/
  10. “Grants Awarded.” Park Foundation. 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://parkfoundation.org/grants-awarded/?coding=282#
  11. “Beyond Extreme Energy.” Chorus Foundation. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://chorusfoundation.org/what-we-fund/beyond-extreme-energy/
  12. “Earthworks.” Chorus Foundation. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://chorusfoundation.org/what-we-fund/earthworks/
  13. “Our Grantmaking Approach.” Chorus Foundation. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://chorusfoundation.org/what-we-fund/
  14. Clover, Ryan. “Melinda Tuhus, Beyond Extreme Energy.” Halt the Harm Network. November 7, 2016. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://halttheharm.net/2016/11/melinda-tuhus-beyond-extreme-energy/
  15. “Media Releases.” Beyond Extreme Energy. December 20, 2018. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://beyondextremeenergy.org/day-one-press-release/
  16. “Ellen Barfield.” ACLU. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://www.aclu.org/other/ellen-barfield
  17. “Stepping Out of Line – Dropping A Banner At FERC.” Green Party US. July 30, 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019. https://www.gp.org/dropping_a_banner_at_ferc?recruiter_id=365843
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