Jim Sims

Jim Sims is a Colorado-based PR adviser with the firm Policy Communications, who has overseen the development of a series of coalitions and front groups arguing for policies beneficial to the energy industry and opposing environmental regulations.

Front groups
A 2008 profile of Sims describes him as "the driving force behind the creation of a number of education and pro-growth policy coalitions," including:


 * Partnership for America, "a national non-profit grassroots network of citizens who believe in less government regulation, more individual freedom and common sense environmental conservation policies."
 * Americans for American Energy, "a non-profit coalition that works to support public policies that encourage greater reliance on all forms of American energy and less reliance on foreign energy."
 * NextGen Energy Council, "a non-profit educational foundation that brings together policy makers and private-sector leaders to accelerate the development of advanced clean energy systems and carbon capture and sequestration technologies."
 * Conservation Science Foundation, "a non-profit think tank that supports scientific research on species and habitat conservation issues."

The profile adds that Sims "also helped to create and manage several national grassroots and industry coalition efforts, including the highly successful Made in USA Coalition; the Take Pride in America Coalition; Clean Power Cells; and the Geothermal Resources Association."

Spinning clean coal
In April 2007, David Roberts wrote on Grist that Sims had been the organizer of a conference in Utah at which "Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer enthusiastically shilled for coal and demanded more federal money for it." According to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune that Roberts cited, the Utah Governor, Jon Huntsman Jr. hired Sims's PR firm, Policy Communications to organize the conference.

Background
Sims is a "20+ year veteran of politics and issue advocacy at the state and federal levels, is Executive Director of the Western Business Roundtable" and was a member of the Board of Directors of the now defunct Center for the New American Century, according to a 2003 profile.

Sims also served as George W. Bush's Director of Communications for the National Energy Policy Development Group in 2001 "which helped to craft the recommendations behind the President's National Energy Policy". Sims previously worked over 12 years in a range of staff positions in the U.S. Senate, including as Chief of Staff to former Senator Robert W. Kasten, Jr. Sims also heads the Partnership for the West Coalition and is President of Policy Communications, Inc., a public relations and lobbying company with offices in Golden, Colorado and Washington, D.C. "For the past 11 years, Jim has represented the interests of a wide range of Fortune 500 and other companies before state and federal governments and regulatory agencies," the profile adds.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Americans for American Energy
 * Clean coal
 * Policy Communications
 * Wise Use movement

External articles

 * David Roberts, "Jim Sims and the clean coal PR push", Grist, April 17, 2007.
 * Kent Harper, op/ed: "NextGen predicts power shortages," The Ely Times (Nevada), October 2008.