It has nothing to do with the price of gas. And everything to do with maintaining corporate control of energy
American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) describes itself as the largest membership association of state legislators, but over 98% of its revenue comes from sources other than legislative dues, primarily from corporations and corporate foundations.[1] After the 2010 congressional midterm elections, ALEC boasted that among those who won their elections, three of the four former state legislators newly-elected to the U.S. Senate are ALEC Alumni and 27 of the 42 former state legislators newly-elected to the U.S. House are ALEC Alumni. (A full list of the Congressional freshmen who are ALEC alums can be found here.) [2]
About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve model bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.
ALECs agenda extends into almost all areas of law. Its bills undermine environmental regulations and deny climate change; support school privatization; undercut health care reform; defund unions and limit their political influence; restrain legislatures abilities to raise revenue through taxes; mandate strict election laws that disenfranchise voters; increase incarceration to benefit the private prison industry, among many other issues. [3]
More at:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council
A couple of previous threads:
Duke Energy Flip-Flop: ALEC Leads Attack on North Carolina Clean Energy with Duke Funding
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10691726
ALEC forced to make public "hundreds" of model bills.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022514585
Duke Energy and the Koch Bros (and ALEC) Kill Clean Energy in NC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10691960