staging.rockymountainvoice.com

Tag: Energy

Laramie Energy gives Mesa County a bleak outlook on future under present regulation
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Laramie Energy gives Mesa County a bleak outlook on future under present regulation

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In an informational work session, Chris Clark of Laramie Energy gave Mesa County Commissioners Cody Davis and JJ Fletcher an update concerning how ever-increasing regulatory policy in Colorado is not only impacting smaller oil and gas companies, but also cutting into the county budget. Energy producing counties have relied on their share of the severance tax, a tax that is extracted from fossil fuel energy developing companies that is designed to cover infrastructure impacts like water development, roads and local entities. In the past, severance tax dollars paid for local libraries, hospital wings, firefighting facilities and equipment, municipal water line replacements, and funded upgrades to local schools, among many...
U.S. House passes bill blocking future presidential bans on hydraulic fracking
National, The Center Square

U.S. House passes bill blocking future presidential bans on hydraulic fracking

By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square A bill preventing future presidents from unilaterally banning hydraulic fracking is on its way to the Senate after passing the House 226-188 Friday. Sixteen Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for the Protecting American Energy Production Act, which will block future bans on hydraulic fracking without congressional approval, if enacted. “When President Biden took office, his administration took a 'whole of government' approach to wage war on American energy production, pandering to woke environmental extremists and crippling this thriving industry,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said on X following the vote. “My legislation that passed today is a necessary first step in reversing Biden’s war on energy.” READ TH...
Natural gas export rule changes may increase domestic gas prices in Colorado
denvergazette.com, State

Natural gas export rule changes may increase domestic gas prices in Colorado

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette According to a December 2024 Department of Energy report, Coloradans could pay as much as 31% more for their natural gas by 2050 if the federal government allows liquified natural gas exports from the U.S. to places like Asia and Europe to increase. The report notes residential consumers nationwide could pay as much as $122.54 more per year for natural gas and electricity by 2050, and industrial sector costs could increase by $125 billion from 2020 to 2050. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Walcher: Throw off climate suffocation and ‘shovel, baby, shovel’
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Walcher: Throw off climate suffocation and ‘shovel, baby, shovel’

By Greg Walcher | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice, via GregWalcher.com My friend Amos Eno, one of the country’s leading conservation experts, spent a decade running the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and more recently the Land Conservation Assistance Network. His writing appears in all the right publications, and he is a popular speaker at conferences everywhere.  Writing about the old/new President’s endorsement of the almost-cliché adage, “Drill, baby, drill,” he added another related, but separate, concept: “Shovel, baby, shovel.” It is an apt way to describe what he calls an urgent need “to resurrect our mining of strategic and critical minerals and coal, throwing off the wet blanket of climate suffocation policies.” There is considerable attention and deb...
Senator praises Trump’s energy ‘dream team’ nominees, Wright and Burgum
Fox Business, National

Senator praises Trump’s energy ‘dream team’ nominees, Wright and Burgum

By Breck Dumas | Fox Business Freshman Sen. Jim Justice began his first week on the job warning that America faces a "crisis" unless the country addresses its energy policies – and fast. But he expressed confidence in two of the nominees President-elect Trump has selected to tackle the issue. The Republican from West Virginia, who was sworn in several days later than other senators in order to complete his term as governor of the state, sits on the upper chamber's Energy & Natural Resources Committee, which held confirmation hearings for Trump's picks to lead the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior this week. Trump's nominee for energy secretary, Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, and the president-elect's pick for interior secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug B...
Chris Wright, the Coloradan who could be on cabinet, pledges to ‘unleash American energy’
denvergazette.com, State

Chris Wright, the Coloradan who could be on cabinet, pledges to ‘unleash American energy’

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette Chris Wright, a Denver businessman and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Energy secretary, told U.S. senators Wednesday that, if confirmed, he would use the position to “unleash American energy at home and abroad.” That message and others like it drew universal praise from the Republican members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, setting him up for an easy confirmation, with Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, saying he hopes to have it wrapped up before the end of the month. Wright faced fairly straightforward questions during his confirmation hearing and he appeared to have secured bipartisan support. Once confirmed, Wright would be tasked with administering U.S. energy policy, maintaining and protecting the nation’s nuclear ...
Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado leading on plan for Colorado energy transition
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado leading on plan for Colorado energy transition

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice As local governments on the Western Slope face the reality of the Craig Power Station closure and in preparation of Gov. Jared Polis’ mandated clean energy plan, Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado are announcing that Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative (NCEI), a program under AGNC and managed by Matt Solomon, have received a $75,000 Energy Communities Alliance Grant. The grant will enable NCEI to launch its next phase of work, focusing on creating a regional coalition and fostering collaboration across multiple states. This phase includes the development of a multi-state stakeholder map, guided by the Department of Energy’s Energy Transition Playbook. The stakeholder map will connect local governments, privat...
Denver eases deadlines for large building energy reduction compliance
gazette.com, Local

Denver eases deadlines for large building energy reduction compliance

By Scott Weiser | Colorado Politics, via The Gazette Denver has postponed a deadline for large building owners to comply with a major energy reduction plan and also terminated compliance targets due in three years. Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency announced the series of actions on Monday. First, the "Energize Denver" target for 2025 compliance was moved to 2026, while the 2027 compliance target was eliminated. The 2030 final compliance target remains, but the city said that, if needed, buildings may establish an alternative timeline through the "Energize Denver" process. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Daniel: A brighter future for Colorado will be lead through innovation, not big government
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Daniel: A brighter future for Colorado will be lead through innovation, not big government

By Bobbie Daniel | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado faces a declining economic reality: high inflation, soaring gas prices, stagnant wages, rising unemployment and an increasingly unaffordable housing market. Yet, this does not have to define our future. Colorado stands at the brink of a transformative innovation revival, fueled by our abundant natural resources, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial drive. By embracing these strengths, we can lead the nation into a future that balances conservation stewardship with economic prosperity. To achieve this, we must move away from heavy-handed government control and toward systems that reward innovation, empower communities and unlock the full potential of our state’s resources. Progress has always been driven by innovation...
Colorado’s first biomass energy plant closed, set for auction as owner files for bankruptcy protection
State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado’s first biomass energy plant closed, set for auction as owner files for bankruptcy protection

By Jason Blevins | The Colorado Sun The pioneering biomass plant in Gypsum — the first in the state to begin converting shredded beetle-kill trees into electricity — has shut down and its owner has filed for bankruptcy protection citing more than $40 million in debt.  The closure has terminated wildfire mitigation efforts in Colorado’s forests and reveals the growing struggle of burning biomass for electricity as demand grows for more affordable renewable energy options like solar and wind. The highest bidder for the plant and the 94-acre property along the Eagle River in Gypsum — revealed last week in Colorado U.S. Bankruptcy Court — is an Illinois-based real estate firm that proposes paying $2.45 million. The trustee in charge of the sale said the Urban Investment Research Cor...