energy
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Colorado Oil and Gas Commission denies drilling permit in Weld County
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has denied an application to drill for oil and gas in Weld County because the proposed drill sites were too close to residences. In 2019, the state legislature adopted sweeping new rules for oil and gas development, including barring drilling within 2,000 feet of homes, schools, child care centers and…
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Colorado’s politicos pan, praise Biden’s first year in office
Even as U.S. President Joe Biden sought to rally Americans at home and allies abroad against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Republicans and Democrats in Colorado remained deeply divided, with some GOP members blaming the president for Vladimir Putin’s war in Europe. The president’s allies maintained that the Biden administration is meeting America’s domestic and…
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Major cooperative agrees to aggressive clean power goals, consider retiring Craig coal unit 4 years early
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which supplies power to 43 power distribution cooperatives in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nebraska, agreed Wednesday to accelerate its transition to renewable energy and consider potentially shutting down a coal plant unit in the city of Craig four years earlier than originally planned. The proposed settlement before the Colorado…
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Xcel Energy spends $597 million to mitigate fire risks prior to historic Marshall fire
Though authorities have now dismissed initial reports suggesting downed lines owned by Xcel Energy caused the Marshall fire, the utility is currently engaged in a $597 million wildfire mitigation program across the state because of concerns about its powerlines starting fires. People walk though the destruction across from Davidson Mesa Open Space in Louisville, Colo.,…
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Coloradans face sharp spike in energy bills this winter
Millions of Coloradans face steep increases in energy bills this winter, with some having to pay as much as 50% more compared to last winter. The rate increases occur at a time when residents struggle to keep up with inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer the state and the rest of the country.…
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Wyoming funds carbon capture research in hopes of preserving its coal industry
“>U.S. EIA spot prices for natural gas As Colorado transitions away from coal to renewable energy, neighboring Wyoming is investing in research and technology that officials hope will preserve its coal industry while also meeting carbon emission reduction goals. Colorado is open to deploying such a technology, but not to extend the life of existing coal plants,…
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Colorado PUC report highlights benefits, downside to new state law on wholesale electric market
A state law requiring Colorado’s electric power producers to participate in “an organized wholesale market” for electricity could negatively impact the state’s “nationally recognized success with robust competition for generation development,” a report issued by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission warns. Joining one particular wholesale market could, for example, subordinate Colorado’s power needs to another state’s…
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The Great Resignation: Record numbers of Colorado workers are quitting their jobs. So where are they going?
It has been called the Great Resignation. The Big Quit. The Great Reshuffle. Whatever the name, it’s a stunning transformation in the American workforce as workers quit in unprecedented numbers – some retiring, some retreating until the pandemic is over, some forging a new path. In that last category is Ben Gallegos-Pardo – although his “new”…
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Former state Energy Office chief goes to work for power wholesaler
Kathleen Staks, who was executive director of the Colorado Energy Office during the final two years of former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s administration, has been hired as director of external affairs for power wholesaler Guzman Energy. “In this new position, Staks will lead stakeholder engagement, legislative and regulatory affairs, and strategic communications to help Guzman Energy…
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US coal consumption drops to lowest level since 1979
WASHINGTON – Americans are consuming less coal in 2018 than at any time since Jimmy Carter’s presidency, a federal report said Tuesday, as cheap natural gas and other rival sources of energy frustrate the Trump administration’s pledges to revive the U.S. coal industry. A report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected Tuesday that 2018…