Western Slope
Drilling in Routt County Impacting Local Commissioners Race
The commissioners voted, 3-0, on Tuesday to approve Quicksilver’s permit to drill the Camilletti Well on private land about a mile north of Milner, and in so doing included a condition of approval requiring Quicksilver to also drill a water-quality monitoring well. The intent is to safeguard 39 domestic water wells down-gradient from the well pad.
15Jul2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Latest Ruling on Roan Plateau Leasing Heartens County Officials
The plan, approved in 2007, had called for phased drilling, including on the largely undeveloped top of the biologically rich plateau. In her ruling, Krieger said the BLM violated procedure by failing to sufficiently address an alternative
that would have left much of the surface of the plateau undisturbed.
REGIONAL UPDATE: Nation’s Only Oil Shale Project Put Off
Living Rivers, Red Leaf Resources, Inc., and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining came to an agreement on Tuesday to postpone development plans while more research is done on potential impacts to water quality.
28Jun2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Colorado, Wyoming Oil and Gas Headlines
>> Interior Extends Comment Period on Fracking Proposal
>> Judge Sets Aside BLM’s Roan Plateau Drilling Plan
>> Report Says Silca a Hazard at Fracking Sites
>> Polis Setback Amendment Defeated
>> Wyoming Governor Appoints Interim Head for WOGCC
>> Mead Wants More Time on Proposed Fracturing Rule
>> Industry Pays for Federal Staff Additions
Encana: Strong liquids Growth to Balance Sources
of Cash Flow in 2013
Encana’s original 2012 plan to drill between 40 and 45 wells has been expanded to drill between 115 and 120 wells in 10 plays primarily focused on oil. The company is expecting to drill approximately 350 oil and liquids rich wells in 2013.
21Jun2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
DOE Testing for Links Between Faults and Groundwater Pollution
A fault from the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania, which is thousands of feet below the surface, could provide “a quick pathway for fracking fluids to migrate upwards,” said Richard Hammack, a spokesman for the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
12Jun2012 | admin | 2 comments | Continued
Nonprofit Solar Training Company Reorganizes, Cuts Staff
Financial and other pressures have forced Solar Energy International (SEI), an alternative-energy training center based in Carbondale and Paonia, into what it is calling an organizational restructuring.
12Jun2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Regional Update: WEA Study Cites Lost Benefits From Delayed Utah, Wyoming Projects
Outstanding projects delayed for more than three years in the two states represent 22,835 proposed wells, or about 1,631 wells/year, the study said. “Federal government delays to these projects are preventing the creation of 64,805 jobs,
$4.3 billion in wages, and $14.9 billion in economic impact every year,” it said.
Colorado to Participate in Air Quality Studies of
Oil And Gas Fields
The problem, say researchers, is the lack of sufficient data available to know exactly what chemical emissions are being emitted from the fields and how they are dispersing. The oil and gas industry is supporting the new sampling study, said Kathleen Sgamma, a vice president with the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance trade group.
6May2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
In the Field: Colorado Acrylic Manufacturer Goes Solar
The 100 kilowatt photovoltaic system ties into the traditional power grid. All solar power generated gets distributed throughout the building with any surplus solar polar sold
back to the power company. It’s a win-win for Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc.
Hickenlooper Joins Other Governors in Push for More Natural Gas Vehicles
Hickenlooper said the Governor’s Energy Office will work with the Colorado Municipal League to encourage municipalities in the state to participate
in a multi-state agreement to increase natural-gas vehicles in their fleets.
EPA Tightens Emission Regs for New Wells – But Gives Industry More Time to Comply
The new rules require drillers to capture emissions of certain air pollutants from new wells, but operators have been given more time to comply. The EPA says they can burn pollutants at the well head until the start of 2015.
19Apr2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Survey: Expanded Drilling Fuels Higher Wages
for Oil and Gas Workers
On average, energy professionals reported a three percent increase in average compensation to $99,175 in 2011 from $96,588 the previous year. Those working on a rotational schedule earned more than $112,000 last year, a six percent increase from 2010.
18Apr2012 | admin | 2 comments | Continued-
Assessing Oil and Gas Influence on State Politics – Two Views
A left-leaning watchdog group released a report late last week that contends the oil and gas industry exerts an outsized influence on Colorado politics, and generous political spending might be the reason. Colorado Ethics Watch does not accuse the oil and gas industry of wrongdoing, but does suggest it benefits from spending so freely to influence politicians.
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Clean Energy Collective is now based in Boulder Colorado. 
Though a small step and almost over 16 years into the die-off of our forests, this effort should be applauded ...
The best ballot initiative is one that will ban initiatives. Otherwise what is the point of electing legislators. 
Thanks for the info Fred! 
Tri-State Board Policy 117 limits member co-op generation to 5%.
LPEA has asked them to lift that for community solar gardens.
https://www.lpea.coop/pdf/board_meeting/resolutions/2012/201213_tristate_policy_117.pdf 
To see this exciting change as "scary" seems incredibly short-sited to me. Between the increasing power demands caused by ...