Alcoa spent $400K lobbying government in 2Q

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alcoa Inc., the largest U.S. aluminum producer, spent $400,000 in the second quarter to lobby the federal government on energy and other issues, according to a disclosure report. That's nearly 17 percent less than the Pittsburgh-based company spent on lobbying in the previous quarter and 25 percent less than it did a year earlier. Aluminum production requires large amounts of electricity, and Alcoa's smelting operations depend on power contracts. Alcoa said it lobbied on "cap-and-trade" climate issues, utilities, defense appropriations related to naval, air and ground programs, labor matters, and issues related to international taxes. Last month, Alcoa reported its third consecutive quarterly loss but beat Wall Street expectations, saying some markets for the lightweight metal may be stabilizing. Executives attributed the narrower-than-expected loss of $454 million to recent efforts to slash costs and raise cash. In the April-June period, Alcoa lobbied Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the report filed July 13 with the House clerk's office.