[9] Edward Teller explained that carbon dioxide "in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect" and that burning more fossil fuels could "melt the icecap and submerge New York".

"The objective of these rallies is to put a human face on the impacts of unsound energy policy and to aim a loud message at [20 different] states," including Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

[21] To help fight climate control legislation that has been approved by the U.S. House, API supports the Energy Citizens group, which is holding public events.

[26] In the second half of 2008, as the U.S. presidential election neared, API began airing a series of television ads where spokeswoman Brooke Alexander encourages people to visit their new website, EnergyTomorrow.org.

The Vote 4 Energy campaign was criticized for presenting misleading arguments about the relationship between oil production and jobs whilst ignoring the potentially catastrophic consequences of increased fossil fuel consumption on the Earth's climate.

Critics noted that many of its member companies continued to maintain ongoing business in these countries whilst the lobbying campaign was in progress, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.

[29] The API has repeatedly funded conservative groups that deny the reality of anthropogenic global warming[30] in spite of the overwhelming scientific consensus that it presents a serious problem for the planet.

[31] It has many front groups, including the NH Energy Forum that in August 2011 hosted a New Hampshire event for Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry.

[32][33] In March 2022, the Climate Committee of the API reportedly approved a draft proposal urging Congress to pass a carbon tax on fossil fuels.

The proposal calls for gasoline wholesalers, power plants and others to pay a tax of $35 to $50 per ton of carbon dioxide generated by the fossil fuel they sell or use.

[34] In June 2021, in a sting operation carried out by Unearthed, Keith McCoy, senior lobbyist for ExxonMobil, revealed that the company was 'for a carbon tax' because 'it gives us a talking point'.

[36] Over the course of 14 years, he had received a total of $1.25m from Exxon Mobil, Southern Company, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and a foundation run by the libertarian Koch brothers, the documents obtained by Greenpeace show.