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‘War on coal is finally over’: Energy experts say Trump admin’s deregulation agenda could fuel coal’s revival
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Approved, National, The Daily Caller

‘War on coal is finally over’: Energy experts say Trump admin’s deregulation agenda could fuel coal’s revival

By Audrey Streb | Daily Caller Within the first months of his second administration, President Donald Trump has prioritized “unleashing” American energy and has already axed several of what he considers to be burdensome regulations on the coal industry, promising it’s “reinvigoration.” Trump signed an executive order on April 8 to revive the coal industry, and shortly after moved to exempt several coal plants from Biden-era regulations. Though it has become a primary target of many climate activists, coal has been historically regarded as readily available and affordable, and several energy policy experts who spoke with Daily Caller News Foundation believe Trump has the cards necessary to strengthen the industry. “When utility bills are skyrocketing or blackouts are happening in w...
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Coal-fired power plant in northwestern Colorado still set for 2028 closure despite Trump administration orders
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Coal-fired power plant in northwestern Colorado still set for 2028 closure despite Trump administration orders

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun The coal-fired Craig Station is still set to close in 2028 — even as the Trump administration is making a drive to keep coal units going — according to the operator’s electric resource plan filed with Colorado utility regulators on April 11. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which runs the plant, says in its preferred plan that the Craig Unit 1 will close by the end of this year and units 2 and 3 will be shuttered in 2028.  Battery storage and a natural gas-fired plant will be added in Moffat County as part of the plan. Three days before Tri-State filed its plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to expand production of “beautiful clean coal” a...
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Linnebur: Rural Colorado’s energy boom isn’t luck—it’s leadership
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Approved, State, The Daily Sentinel

Linnebur: Rural Colorado’s energy boom isn’t luck—it’s leadership

By Tyler Linnebur and Evan Underwood | Commentary, The Daily Sentinel Rural Colorado is experiencing a surge in economic growth thanks to smart federal policy and local energy leadership. Federal energy tax credits, combined with Colorado’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, are revitalizing rural communities by creating diverse, durable jobs and attracting new investment. By supporting both traditional and renewable energy sources, Colorado is proving that a balanced approach delivers real results where they’re needed most. Energy legislation over the past few years reinforced efforts to boost clean energy production and manufacturing across the country. These programs support technologies ranging from solar and wind to energy storage, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. B...
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Hancock: Chris Wright is the voice of energy sanity America needs
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Hancock: Chris Wright is the voice of energy sanity America needs

By Michael A. Hancock | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Why Secretary Chris Wright Is Exactly What America’s Energy Policy Needs Now Confidence in experience is never misplaced, least of all in the arena of energy policy. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy under President Trump, spoke frankly at a recent luncheon hosted by Colorado’s Ladies 4 Liberty. Secretary Wright exemplifies precisely why deep industry expertise is indispensable in government service.  An entrepreneur by background, Wright’s appointment is more than symbolic—it signals a tangible shift towards practicality and rational policy grounded in real-world energy economics. At its core, Wright’s philosophy centers on a straightforward, yet powerful assertion: energy availability is fundamental to human ...
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City of Rifle blasts state for misusing severance tax dollars
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Approved, Local, Post Independent

City of Rifle blasts state for misusing severance tax dollars

By Katherine Tomanek | Post Independent A letter to state Sen. Marc Catlin and state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco has been prepared by the city staff of Rifle regarding the diversion of Local Government Severance Tax Funds to address budget shortfalls at the state government level.  The Local Government Severance Tax Fund was originally created to help support communities  impacted by resource extraction activities, like oil and gas, which sometimes leads to a “boom and bust” economy of those communities. The “bust” of that equation was to be offset by the Local Government Severance Tax Fund.  The city of Rifle relies on the Energy Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for their projects. Some of these funds include $1 million for the R...
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Colorado moves toward a nuclear future as energy demands skyrocket
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado moves toward a nuclear future as energy demands skyrocket

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Colorado is at an energy crossroads, and House Bill 25-1040 is now sitting on Governor Jared Polis' desk, awaiting his decision. The bill, which recognizes nuclear energy as part of the state's clean energy portfolio, has gained rare bipartisan support—but the real question is whether Polis will cave to radical environmentalists or side with the majority of Coloradans who support nuclear energy. With the Craig Station Power Plant set to close and electricity demand expected to double by 2050, leaders across the state are finally acknowledging what conservatives have long championed: nuclear energy is the most efficient, clean and sustainable path forward. But will Polis let that happen? Despite past resistance, HB 1040 passed with support from both si...
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Colorado building owners face $17 million per year fine under energy bill
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Colorado building owners face $17 million per year fine under energy bill

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A measure aimed at easing some of the near-term requirements from a 2021 law that seeks to reduce greenhouse emissions is facing opposition from the industry it claims to be assisting, with businesses noting the bill allows for tens of millions of dollars in fines. House Bill 1269, sponsored by Reps. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, and Alex Valdez, D-Denver, seeks to ease some of the requirements outlined in a 2021 law, which established the building performance program in the Colorado Energy Office. Under that bill, buildings over 50,000 square feet, which amounts to about 8,300 buildings statewide, are required to achieve a 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2026. After hearing from building owners who argued that the sta...
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Choked out: How Colorado’s regulatory maze is starving its energy producers
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Choked out: How Colorado’s regulatory maze is starving its energy producers

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Few states rival Colorado’s wealth of energy resources, but its oil and gas industry is up against increasing challenges. Small and mid-sized operators, once the industry’s backbone, are struggling with a growing tangle of regulations.  Delayed permits, overlapping oversight and rising fines are making it harder to stay in business, forcing many to reconsider their future in the state. Ryan Clark, Vice President of Engineering at Petrox Resources and a fourth-generation Coloradan working in his family’s oil and gas business, has watched small operators disappear under the weight of increased regulations. "Honestly, I don’t know if oil and gas has a future here," he said. "Growing up, this was a business people bui...
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Chris Wright at CERAWeek – a masterclass in energy strategy
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Approved, Hot Take of the Day, National

Chris Wright at CERAWeek – a masterclass in energy strategy

By David Ramsden-Wood | Hot Take Of The Day, Commentary Yesterday at CERAWeek in Houston, Energy Secretary Chris Wright took the stage, and if you’re paying attention, he’s sending a crystal-clear message to American oil producers: slow down, or risk ruin. I’ve said it before—Chris Wright is one of the sharpest minds in energy. I’ve had him on my podcast, written about him, and even swapped ideas with him back when he still might’ve been reading my stuff. As Trump’s Energy Secretary, he’s proving why he’s the perfect pick for this moment. His remarks today weren’t just about “Drill, Baby, Drill”—they were a calculated signal to U.S. companies to ease off the throttle, protect their balance sheets, and let natural declines do the heavy lifting. I wrote a few weeks ago in “Drill Baby D...
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Laramie Energy gives Mesa County a bleak outlook on future under present regulation
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Approved, 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...
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