Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Energy

Linnebur: Rural Colorado’s energy boom isn’t luck—it’s leadership
No Comments
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...
Read More
Hancock: Chris Wright is the voice of energy sanity America needs
No Comments
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 ...
Read More
City of Rifle blasts state for misusing severance tax dollars
No Comments
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...
Read More
Colorado moves toward a nuclear future as energy demands skyrocket
No Comments
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...
Read More
Colorado building owners face $17 million per year fine under energy bill
No Comments
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...
Read More
Choked out: How Colorado’s regulatory maze is starving its energy producers
No Comments
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...
Read More
Chris Wright at CERAWeek – a masterclass in energy strategy
No Comments
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...
Read More
Laramie Energy gives Mesa County a bleak outlook on future under present regulation
No Comments
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...
Read More
U.S. House passes bill blocking future presidential bans on hydraulic fracking
No Comments
Approved, 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...
Read More
Natural gas export rule changes may increase domestic gas prices in Colorado
No Comments
Approved, 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
Read More