Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Energy Policy

Trump Venezuela Oil Deal Could Unlock $200 Billion and Expand US Energy Supply
Fox Business, Approved, National

Trump Venezuela Oil Deal Could Unlock $200 Billion and Expand US Energy Supply

By Michael Sinkewicz | FOX Business Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the agreement a 'huge win' that could bring nearly $100B in private investment. Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday touted a "historic" oil agreement with the United States announced by President Donald Trump. Speaking during an evening address, Rodriguez celebrated the agreement, saying it would help revive Venezuela's economy. She said the deal would remain in effect for 25 years and initially target crude production of more than 1.5 million barrels per day while preserving the South American country's sovereignty over its natural resources. "This 25-year bilateral project envisages the development of 17 strategic oilfields with a production target of more than 1.5 m...
Why the Right should run toward data centers, not away from them
Daily Wire, Approved, Commentary, National

Why the Right should run toward data centers, not away from them

By Daniel Turner | Commentary, The Daily Wire A word of caution to the Right as the midterms approach: do not run on messages from the Left. The policies of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) base should not be the north star. So, why borrow from their playbook on data centers? Data centers are good. They are a boon for the economy and essential for national security and quality of life. You are reading this column because of data centers. You can share this article on social media because of data centers. We should support data centers for many reasons. Energy production. President Trump’s “Ratepayer Protection Plan” does something extraordinary and unprecedented: it allowed tech companies to build power plants.&...
New Analysis Ties Net Zero Policies To Higher Household Energy Costs
Just The News, Approved, National

New Analysis Ties Net Zero Policies To Higher Household Energy Costs

By Kevin Killough | Just the News “Blue States, High Rates” study analyzes climate and net-zero policies in each state and shows that the common factor when it comes to high electricity rates is whether a state has these policies in place. And those are primarily blue states. Polls consistently show that affordability is a top concern for voters, and that includes the cost of their utility bills. An Ipsos poll released in May showed that 79% of respondents would support a political candidate who promises to lower their utility bill. The poll also found that 58% of American bill payers don’t understand what drives their utility costs. Always On Energy Research and the Institute for Energy Research have been attempting to analyze the relationsh...
A mass of contradictions: One writer’s read on Phil Weiser’s plan for Colorado
Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

A mass of contradictions: One writer’s read on Phil Weiser’s plan for Colorado

By Ari Armstrong | Commentary, Complete Colorado “Democrats lay out plan to win supermajority in Colorado Legislature,” reads a recent headline from the left-leaning Colorado Newsline. So how might Governor Phil Weiser interact with the legislature, whether or not Democrats reach their goals for legislative seats? For that we can turn to his 109-page “blueprint” Unsurprisingly, Weiser wants to be all things to all people. He talks about freedom, prosperity, and a business-friendly environment out of one side of his mouth while promoting tax and spending hikes and tighter regulations out of the other. Housing affordability Unaffordable housing exacerbates various other problems, starting, of course, with homelessness. It makes child care less available and mor...
Colorado Voters Will Decide Right To Natural Gas in November
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Voters Will Decide Right To Natural Gas in November

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A citizen initiative that seeks to enshrine the right to natural gas has qualified for the November ballot, Colorado’s election office confirmed on Thursday. Petitions containing signatures for Initiative No. 177 were turned in to the Secretary of State’s Office for review in late June. On Thursday, the Secretary of State’s Office said 146,165 of the 189,508 signatures collected were valid, surpassing the threshold. The initiative from Advance Colorado establishes consumers’ right to purchase natural gas for cooking and heating their homes and businesses, as well as the right of distributors and utilities to sell natural gas to homes and businesses. “Natural gas is a clean, reliable and affordable form of energy...
Colorado’s Renewable Energy Milestone Looks Different When Coal Outages Are Counted
Independence Institute, Approved, State

Colorado’s Renewable Energy Milestone Looks Different When Coal Outages Are Counted

By Sarah Montalbano | Independence Institute On July 9, 2026, I wrote an article for the Independence Institute breaking down the math behind Colorado’s renewable energy milestone in Q1 2026 and explaining why it is largely driven by the Comanche 3 coal outage, rather than a surge in wind and solar generation. For Coloradans, it’s worth checking if milestones like these are real, because figures like these are cited as proof that the state can shed its remaining coal and natural gas without consequences for reliability and affordability. The article’s main point, which was supported with EIA generation data, was that Colorado produced less in-state electricity in Q1 2026, and therefore the share of electricity generated by wind and solar looked larger beca...
Denver Ballot Measure Will Determine Xcel Partnership As Millions In Revenue Are At Stake
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Ballot Measure Will Determine Xcel Partnership As Millions In Revenue Are At Stake

By: Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette This November, Denver voters will decide whether to renew the city’s longstanding franchise agreement with Xcel Energy. Members of the Denver City Council approved on Monday sending a proposed 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel that would deliver more than $180 million a year in franchise fees, infrastructure relocation savings and other undergrounding funds to the ballot. The vote was 10-2 with Councilmembers Shontel Lewis and Sarah Parady holding the two dissenting votes. “Denver has negotiated the strongest energy partnership agreement in the history of Colorado, and importantly, the benefits of this agreement and of being a franchisee extend far beyond any of the individual listed improvements and accomplishments,”...
Colorado Faces Growing Concerns Over Grid Reliability and Energy Costs
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Growing Concerns Over Grid Reliability and Energy Costs

By Mike Krause | Complete Colorado In a recent episode of Independence Institute’s* PowerGab energy podcast, hosts Amy Cooke and Jake Fogleman look at the mounting consequences of Colorado’s forced energy transition to renewables, focusing on recent warning from Xcel Energy before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that the state could face a significant power generation shortfall beginning next summer, increasing the risk of rolling blackouts. Cooke and Fogleman contend that regulators have prioritized emissions reductions while giving short shrift to the costs and reliability challenges of replacing dispatchable generation with renewable energy and battery storage. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT COMPLETE COLORADO
Colorado’s renewable milestone deserves a reality check
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s renewable milestone deserves a reality check

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Sarah Montalbano, the author of the Complete Colorado piece below makes a great point in her article about renewables. In response to a recent article by fellow energy writer Allen Best, see the second link below, about Colorado hitting an energy milestone of “More than half the state’s electricity came from wind, solar and hydro during the first months of 2026”, Montalbano notes that perhaps it’s not time for celebrating yet. Quoting from her Complete piece, “The trouble is that this jubilant announcement of a ‘majority’ renewables power grid owes more to a stark drop in coal-fired generation than the wind and solar that was added. Percentages rely on both the numerator — how much wind, solar, and hydropower...
Has Trump kept his promises? You decide.
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Has Trump kept his promises? You decide.

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I am tired of uninformed people and ideologues who complain that the Trump administration is not getting things done. So, here is a list of some of his accomplishments in just his second term. NOTE: I am not a Trump fanboy nor a partisan ideologue; I am a conservative who values the truth. You may dislike or disagree with Mr. Trump or certain members of his cabinet, or some of the 56 items on this list (sourced from Jeff Childers in his Coffee&Covid blog) but it provides hard details for your consideration.  I’ve read it and found it to be fairly accurate. Of course, nitpickers who like to sort the fly crap out of the pepper may find a few insubstantial things to correct. My focus is on facts and results.  Y...