Author: Mark Jaffe
-
Another push for oil and gas measures on the Colorado ballot
—
by
The regulation of oil and gas operations, a consistently contentious issue in Colorado, once again may be fought over in dueling ballot initiatives this November. Four proposed ballot measures falling on opposite sides of the question could be before voters this fall, providing their sponsors collect enough valid voter signatures by the state’s Aug. 6…
-
Colo. oil shale drilling vulnerable to price changes, Bloomberg says
—
by
Oil production has been setting records in Colorado, but according to a new analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the state’s drillers may soon be facing “a rough patch.” The Bloomberg study analyzed break-even prices in 10 western shale oil basins and found Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg Basin, centered over Weld County, one of the most…
-
Xcel seeks OK of $2.5B Colo. renewable energy plan
—
by
Xcel Energy Inc. submitted a plan to Colorado regulators Wednesday seeking approval of a $2.5 billion program to transform electricity generation in the state, turning away from coal and natural gas and relying more heavily on renewable energy. The proposed Colorado Energy Plan (CEP) by the state’s largest electricity provider, with 3.1 million customers in…
-
Boulder climate-change lawsuit more political than legal, say CACI panelists
—
by
The climate-change lawsuit launched in state court against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy by the city of Boulder, along with San Miguel and Boulder counties, is the wrong complaint in the wrong forum, panelists said Thursday at a Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry (CACI) event. “Litigation tends to produce delayed results, and if the objective…
-
NREL gets federal grant to bolster less-familiar form of solar power
—
by
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden has received $8 million in federal grants for research to bolster “concentrating solar power,” a renewable energy technology that has been flagging as wind and photovoltaic solar power grow. The NREL grants are part of $72 million awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.…
-
Colorado energy jobs led by natural gas and energy efficiency sectors
—
by
Energy employment in Colorado grew by 11 percent in 2017 to a total of nearly 91,000 jobs – lead by the natural gas and energy-efficiency sectors, according to a report by the National Association of State Energy Officials. The survey of energy companies, which was done in conjunction with the energy think tank the Energy…
-
Forced pooling bill providing oil & gas leasing protections passes legislature
—
by
A bill giving Colorado homeowners more protections when oil and gas drillers seek to obtain their mineral rights has passed the state Senate, its final hurdle in the legislature, and now goes to Gov. John Hickenlooper. Senate Bill 320 earlier was passed by the House of Representatives, with both the industry and environmentalists supporting it.…
-
Coal power ‘under pressure’; Colorado Springs plant ‘at risk,’ says ratings service
—
by
Colorado coal-fired power plants serving municipal electric utilities and rural cooperatives remain economically competitive despite the availability of cheaper natural gas and renewable energy, but one plant in Colorado Springs is “at risk,” according to an analysis by Moody’s Investor Services. Moody’s, which rates bond credit and does market research, assessed the market competitiveness of…
-
COVER STORY: The fight over forced pooling — should drilling-without-consent law be changed?
—
by
From her front porch in Broomfield’s Wildgrass subdivision, Jean Lim looks out on a park and the Rocky Mountains beyond. There she sits, waiting for an oil and gas driller to use a state law to get the mineral rights beneath her home she doesn’t want to lease. “We are just waiting to be pooled,”…
-
Oil & gas bill limiting payout to Colo. mineral owners passes committee
—
by
A bill providing more protection to property owners when drillers use state law to get access to their minerals, but limits their share in oil and gas profits, was passed by the state Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee Wednesday. The aim of the legislation is to update Colorado’s 83-year-old “forced pooling” law, which…