Public Lands Clips: January 29, 2024

 

 

House

 

Bipartisan Backing To Explore Fast Tracking Solar And Wind On Oil-And-Gas Lands — “Pop band AJR’s Adam Met went to Washington and scored a rare thing: Bipartisan backing to investigate fast tracking of new renewables projects on 24 million acres of federal oil-and-gas lands. Rep. Mike Levin (D., Calif.) and Rep. John Curtis (R., Utah) in a joint letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland asked her department to explore fast-tracking the process to co-locate renewables and fossil-energy production. The department declined to comment on the November letter. Both representatives sit on the House Committee on Natural Resources and backed the proposal in a video released on Thursday. … ‘We spent the last 18 months running around Congress and we actually got Republicans and Democrats to agree on this idea,’ Met said. While there has been some progress on permitting reform in the U.S., it remains one of the top challenges identified by renewable developers. In their letter, the Congressmen asked five questions primarily about existing permitting processes and regulatory frameworks. ‘Our proposal is innovative and advocates for promising steps the Bureau of Land Management can take to move towards a clean energy future,’ said Rep. Levin, adding that he will continue to collaborate with Planet Reimagined and others fighting to increase deployment of renewables on public lands.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Coal Exec Don Blankenship Files For Senate Run — “Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is making a bid to represent West Virginia in the Senate. Blankenship, who ran Massey until shortly after the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster that killed 29 workers, filed Friday to run as a Democrat for the seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin (D), state records show. Blankenship spent almost a year in prison for conspiring to violate mine safety and health standards, a charge that stemmed from the investigation into the 2010 disaster. He previously ran for the same seat as a Republican in 2018, losing the primary to Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who lost to Manchin. Blankenship made numerous false claims about then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during that campaign and labeled him ‘Cocaine Mitch,’ a name McConnell and his allies sought to reclaim.” [E&E News, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

Don Blankenship Registers To Run As A Democrat For U.S. Senate; Dems Say Yuck — “Don Blankenship, political lightning rod and former coal titan who spent a year in jail on a mine safety conspiracy conviction, is running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate. This is the seat that Senator Joe Manchin, an independent-minded mainstay of West Virginia Democratic politics, has chosen to bow out of competing to retain. Most pundits believe the seat is likely to flip to a Republican, and the top candidates on that side are incumbent Gov. Jim Justice and Congressman Alex Mooney. Blankenship has been involved with Republican politics in West Virginia for many years, first as an activist and financial backer just before the GOP swung to dominance and then in 2018 with a competitive race in the Republican Primary for U.S. Senate. Blankenship throws a curveball into the current race and has enough wealth for financial support of his own campaign. He did not anticipate support from the Democratic Party. ‘I would expect them to be very upset that I’m even in the race,’ he said.” [WV Metro News, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

 

Biden Plan Will Earmark Millions Of Acres Of Public Land For Solar Development — “On Jan. 17, the Biden administration unveiled a draft analysis of a plan that identifies millions of acres of public land as suitable for utility-scale solar development across 11 Western states — and millions more that may be excluded. The proposed plan, called the updated Western Solar Plan, covers Bureau of Land Management land from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains. It revises an Obama-era solar plan released in 2012, and addresses the dual demands to protect resource-rich regions and demarcate public lands that are compatible with large-scale solar. Under the new guidance, the BLM will earmark broad pockets of land across the West for potential solar development. The agency will mark other regions as unavailable for utility-scale solar due to their cultural, economic or ecological value. By creating this high-level blueprint, the BLM aims to clarify which sites are either open or closed, eliminating ambiguities from the previous plan, and thereby maximizing the efficiency of its permitting process.” [High Country News, 1/29/24 (+)]

 

BLM Plans To Open Millions Of Acres For Solar Projects On Public Lands In The West — “The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released a draft plan outlining potential solar energy development in the West. The proposal is an update of the BLM’s 2012 Western Solar Plan. It adds five new states—Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming—to a list of 11 western states already earmarked for utility-scale solar development on BLM land. ‘Our public lands are playing a critical role in the clean energy transition – and the progress the Bureau of Land Management is announcing today on several clean energy projects across the West represents our continued momentum in achieving those goals,’ said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a press release issued on Jan. 17. All told, the plan would ‘provide approximately 22 million acres of land open for solar application, giving maximum flexibility to reach the nation’s clean energy goals,’ the BLM press release states.” [Field & Stream, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

 

Greens Seek ESA Protections For A Pricey And Earless Lizard — “Reptile aficionados can pay upward of $4,500 for a Bornean earless monitor lizard, but maybe not forever. Citing the alleged dangers to the distinctive lizard posed by the international reptile trade, environmentalists went to federal court Thursday in a bid to compel an Endangered Species Act decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service. ‘The earless lizard is gravely imperiled,’ the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity attorneys Tanya Sanerib and Sarah Uhlemann stated. ‘The species is particularly susceptible to threats, including exploitation for the international pet trade and habitat loss.’ A check of several online reptile marketplaces Friday found prices ranging from $3,999 to $4,500 for one of the prized lizards that’s native to the rugged island of Borneo. If the species is listed as endangered, as the Center for Biological Diversity wants, the ESA would ban the import, export and sale of the lizards in the United States. Representatives of two companies offering the lizards for sale online could not be reached Friday morning.” [E&E News, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

Nexstar | 9 Species In 33 States May Soon Be On Endangered List: US Wildlife Officials — “Nine species could soon find themselves on federal threatened or endangered species list, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. After reviewing eight species native to the United States and two from Southeast Asia, wildlife officials determined nine of them warrant advancing to the next step under the Endangered Species Act. Before being added to the official list of endangered and threatened wildlife or plants – and receiving all the protections that come with it – species go through a review and monitoring process. The nine species chosen by U.S. Fish and Wildlife face enough risk of extinction that they warrant being monitored over the next year. At that point, federal officials will determine whether they should be added to the ‘endangered’ list (for species at risk of extinction throughout much of their range) or the ‘threatened’ list (for species likely to become endangered).” [The Hill, 1/27/24 (+)]

 

 

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

 

US To Use AI To Track The Impact Of Offshore Wind On Endangered Whales — “Two US environmental agencies say they will start using AI to better monitor the impact of offshore wind farms on marine animals, particularly endangered North American right whales, of which there are only about 360 left in the world. The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced their new joint strategy to protect the whales as the East Coast sees a ramp-up in offshore wind farm development. The approach uses both artificial intelligence and passive acoustic monitoring to gauge where the whales are at a given time and then monitor the impacts of wind development on the whales. The plan also details measures to avoid building in areas that could impact whales, set noise limits during construction, and well as support research to develop new, quieter technologies that could reduce any impact on marine life. The organizations also want to conduct ‘robust sound field verification’ to measure current noise levels in more accurate ways.” [Electrek, 1/29/24 (+)]

 

NOAA Announces $9.9M Right Whale Partnership With MITRE — “The shipping, boating, commercial and recreational fishing industries have asked NOAA Fisheries and partners to identify new and better ways to track and avoid collisions with all large ocean animals, particularly the North American right whale. So the fishing community was particularly pleased to hear about the right whale NOAA Fisheries/MITRE Corporation partnership announced earlier this month. The $9.9 million NOAA Fisheries/MITRE partnership will support North Atlantic right whale recovery efforts using Inflation Reduction Act funds. MITRE is a not-for-profit company that bridges the gap between government and industry, tackling complex challenges with no commercial interest. MITRE’s Center for Enterprise Modernization is the lead on this project.” [The Sun Chronicle, 1/27/24 (+)]

 

NOAA Releases High-Resolution Land Cover Data To Boost Coastal Climate Resilience Efforts — “High-resolution land cover data is newly available for U.S. coastal communities through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to a Jan. 25 announcement from the agency. This data, which shows geographic and landscape features on Earth’s surface, is the ‘backbone of key predictive models for sea level rise and stormwater management,’ a NOAA press release says. It can be downloaded on NOAA’s Digital Coast website. Communities can use the data to inform climate resilience measures such as sea-level-rise planning, wetland restoration projects and other activities that protect people from flooding, the agency said. Other applications include studying urban forestry, monitoring urban heat islands and understanding land use impacts. The data — which provides map layers that focus on impervious surfaces, tree canopy and water features — shows land cover at a much higher resolution than NOAA could previously provide. Whereas the agency’s former product featured a 30-meter resolution, the new data has a one-meter resolution, making it 900 times more detailed. The data allows year-to-year comparisons that communities can use to document land cover changes over time.” [Smart Cities Dive, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

 

 

‘The EPA Needs To Humble Itself’: Why Some US Non-Profits Are Turning Down Agency Funds — “Bella Romero Academy, a K-8 school, sits 1,200ft from a fracking site in Greeley, Colorado. Air on the playground is often thick with benzene – a chemical that can cause dizziness and headaches in the short term, and blood illnesses like leukemia with long-term exposure. In 2019, independent researchers found that benzene spiked above healthy levels 113 times there in a seven-month period. Local advocates wanted to monitor the air quality outside the school to help administrators figure out the safest times to let the kids play outside. ‘Most of these sites are completely unmonitored,’ said Micah Parkin, the executive director of the non-profit 350 Colorado. She applied for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant aimed at helping communities monitor their own air quality and was thrilled when her organization was selected to receive roughly $500,000. But Parkin and her colleagues quickly ran into hurdles. The EPA wanted her team to hold a competitive bidding process to find a local partner, even though 350 Colorado had already identified one: the air-quality monitoring firm Boulder Air. They also demanded financial information that Parkin said would require 350 Colorado to overhaul its accounting and reporting procedures. These processes required time and resources that 350 Colorado, with an annual budget of under $1m, simply didn’t have.” [The Guardian, 1/26/24 (~)]

 

 

 

Environmental Rights Gain Steam After Montana Climate Ruling — “Proposals to enshrine environmental rights are picking up momentum in two Western states, months after youth in Montana used a constitutional provision to force the state to acknowledge climate change. In Washington state, a House committee will hold a public hearing Monday on a proposed amendment that would add environmental rights to the state constitution’s bill of rights. Among other protections, the so-called green amendment would recognize the rights of present and future generations to ‘a clean and healthy environment.’ The hearing comes as a state lawmaker in California last week proposed an amendment to the state’s Constitution that would ensure the right to clean air, clear water and a healthy environment. Both measures are similar to a provision in the Montana Constitution that gives residents the right to a ‘clean and healthful environment.’ A Montana judge ruled in August that the state violated the measure by enacting laws that ignore the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. The state is appealing the decision to the Montana Supreme Court.” [E&E News, 1/29/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Clean Energy

 

The Offshore Wind Shuffle: Developers Swap Ownership, Submit New Bids — “In a flurry of actions offshore wind developers traded joint ventures off New York for sole ownership, rebid into the state’s latest solicitation, and withdrew from previous agreements with Maryland – the latest in industry retrenchment. Equinor and bp announced Thursday they will split their joint ventures, with Equinor taking full ownership of the Empire Wind 1 and 2 projects, and bp assuming full ownership of the Beacon Wind project. Equinor said it is rebidding the 810-megawatt Empire Wind 1 project into New York’s fourth solicitation Joint venture partners Ørsted and Eversource likewise are rebidding their Sunrise Wind proposal, months after New York utilities regulators rejected all the companies’ requests to re-negotiate existing power purchase agreements. In Maryland, state officials and Ørsted agreed to terminate agreements for the Skipjack 1 and 2 projects, with an eye toward ‘future offtake opportunities.’ The moves are part of developers’ and state energy planners’ attempt to recover from widespread turmoil when it became clear that power purchase deals were not financially viable amid global economic pressures despite subsidies.” [WorkBoat, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

Equinor Sees New York’s Wind Plan Helping Beleaguered Industry — “Equinor ASA said New York policymakers are leading the way in efforts to support projects in the embattled offshore wind industry. The US offshore sector was hurt badly last year by inflation, higher borrowing costs and supply-chain bottlenecks that prompted developers to delay or cancel multiple projects. Norway’s Equinor was among developers that unsuccessfully petitioned New York regulators for more price support for planned projects. But after that rejection, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a 10-point plan to bolster the state’s renewable energy sources, including a process to speed up the procurement process. Those measures are helping the industry to adjust to the ‘new realities’ of a harsher environment, according to Equinor’s vice president for renewables. ‘We’re beginning to see some signs that the tide could be turning,’ Equinor’s Pal Eitrheim said in an interview Friday. New York is an example ‘of making the necessary adjustment to attract investment,’ he said.” [Bloomberg, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

NJ Awards 3.74 GW Of New Offshore Wind To Replace Pulled Projects — “Looking to fill the gap in its offshore wind energy portfolio with the sudden cancellation last year of two projects totaling 2.25 GW, New Jersey has moved to replace the capacity with two new utility-scale awards. Selected on Jan. 24 to keep the state’s clean energy program on track is a U.S. based partnership between developers Invenergy and energyRe, with a second award to a joint venture of French utility TotalEnergies, London-based Corio Generation and U.S.-based Rise Power and Light. The two projects total 3.7 GW.” [Engineering News Record, 1/27/24 (=)]

 

New York Offshore Wind Power Auction Set For Big Turnout — “Several offshore wind developers will likely bid in New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation by the Thursday deadline, including units of European energy firms Orsted, Equinor and BP. The development of the U.S. offshore wind industry took a major blow last year when companies working in several states said they could no longer complete projects profitably because of rocketing construction costs, higher interest rates and supply chain snags. The problems also hit the wind industry in other countries. The development of the industry is key to meeting both U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. state-level clean energy targets. To prevent the projects from falling through, some state governments including New York have agreed to allow developers to rebid their projects at higher levels.” [Marine Link, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

Ørsted And Equinor Bid Into NY4 Offshore Wind Solicitation — “Efforts to get New York offshore wind back on track continue. Following New York State’s successful third offshore wind solicitation, both Ørsted and Equinor have bid into New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation (NY4), with some familiar projects being resubmitted — and some changing of partners is going on. The stage for NY4 was set back in November 2023 when the New York State Public Service Commission denied petitions submitted by offshore wind developers that sought to address inflationary pressures impacting project economics through adjustments Offshore Wind REC (OREC) purchase and sales agreements. That was seen as putting some existing projects at risk and evidently there are hopes that NY4 will produce some more realistic pricing. Ørsted and its joint venture partner Eversource yesterday submitted a new proposal for Sunrise Wind, re-bidding an updated project that, if selected, they say ‘would fulfill its promise to deliver substantial economic benefits across New York and play a critical role in advancing the state’s climate goals by delivering up to 924 megawatts of clean energy to New York.” [Marine Log, 1/27/24 (=)]

 

Equinor, Orsted Bid For Better Contract In NY Offshore Wind Auction — “New York State said on Friday it received bids to supply power from three offshore wind projects in its expedited fourth solicitation that allowed developers to exit old contracts and re-offer projects at higher prices. Companies that submitted bids included units of Equinor (EQNR.OL), opens new tab, Orsted (ORSTED.CO), opens new tab, and a joint venture between RWE (RWEG.DE), opens new tab and National Grid (NG.L), opens new tab, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said on Friday. If awarded, ‘construction at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is expected to begin in the first half of this year, first power is expected in 2026,’ Equinor’s spokesperson said in an emailed statement. ‘Expected commercial operation date is 2027.’” [Reuters, 1/27/24 (=)]

 

Energy Developer Delivers Major Blow To Blue State's Climate Agenda By Canceling Offshore Wind Contracts — “Multinational energy developer Orsted unexpectedly withdrew from agreements with the State of Maryland to develop two offshore wind projects, citing worsening economic conditions. Orsted announced that it had pulled out of orders which the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) issued years ago greenlighting the so-called Skipjack Wind 1 and Skipjack Wind 2 projects, and selecting the projects for a 20-year Offshore Renewable Energy Credit (OREC). Maryland Democrats repeatedly pointed to the Skipjack Wind development as a key part of the state’s aggressive decarbonization agenda. ‘Today’s announcement affirms our commitment to developing value creating projects and represents an opportunity to reposition Skipjack Wind, located in a strategically valuable federal lease area and with a state that is highly supportive of offshore wind, for future offtake opportunities,’ David Hardy, Orsted’s group executive vice president and CEO of its Americas division, said Thursday in a statement. ‘As we explore the best path forward for Skipjack Wind, we anticipate several opportunities and will evaluate each as it becomes available,’ he continued.” [Fox News, 1/27/24 (-)]

 

Ørsted ‘Re-Evaluating’ Project Off Delaware Coast — “Offshore wind developer Ørsted announced Thursday night it was withdrawing plans for its Skipjack projects off the coast of Delaware, with high inflation and interest rates making the approved plans less financially viable. The Danish wind turbine developer announced it would extensively review its agreement with Maryland, which approved the project in” [CleanTechnica, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

Owner’s Withdrawal From Offshore Wind Project Hobbles Maryland’s Clean Energy Plans — “Danish energy company Ørsted has exited an agreement with Mayland to sell electricity from an offshore wind farm it plans to build off the coast of Ocean City, casting a shadow of doubt on Maryland’s ability to achieve its target of 100 percent clean energy by 2035. Offshore wind is a key plank in Governor Wes Moore’s clean energy strategy. Moore signed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act in April 2023, committing the state to a goal of generating 8.5 GW of wind energy by 2031. The state is expected to play a key role in achieving the national target of 30 GW in offshore wind by 2030. In a statement on Thursday, Ørsted said it was withdrawing from the Skipjack 1 and 2 projects, which would have a combined generation capacity of 966 MW, because it was no longer possible to fund the project based on the projected revenue from the state’s renewable energy payments, known as ORECs and approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC).” [Inside Climate News, 1/27/24 (~)]

 

Fossil Energy

 

Activist Investors Fret Over Exxon Mobil's Lawsuit Bypassing US Regulator — “Investors that use shareholder resolutions to pressure companies on environmental and social issues said they are worried that an Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), opens new tab lawsuit bypassing the U.S. securities regulator could undermine their influence. Under appointees of U.S. President Joe Biden, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made it more difficult for companies to prevent these resolutions from moving to a shareholder vote by appealing to the regulator. Exxon sidestepped the SEC and filed a lawsuit earlier this month against two shareholders that had put forward a resolution calling on the oil major to set new targets for reducing some of its greenhouse gas emissions. Exxon accused the investors in its lawsuit of abusing the process by putting forward resolutions to advance their agenda of diminishing its fossil fuels business, rather than grow shareholder value. It said that 90% of its shareholders voted down a similar proposal last year.” [Reuters, 1/29/24 (=)]

 

NextEra CEO Downplays Chance Of Inflation Reduction Act Repeal If Trump Re-Elected — “Dive Brief: Renewable energy markets may have experienced some turbulence in recent years, but those challenges have only served to make NextEra Energy an even stronger company, executives told investors during a Thursday earnings call. The Inflation Reduction Act is a key growth driver for the company, but the upcoming federal elections are creating uncertainty around utility clean energy plans. However, NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum downplayed the possibility that Republican lawmakers would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act if former president Donald Trump is re-elected in November. Ketchum pointed to other key areas of growth for the company, with NextEra Energy Transmission securing contracts to build transmission projects in the PJM Interconnection, California Independent System Operator and Southwest Power Pool footprints that will roughly double the size of NextEra’s transmission investments. The company also expects to see rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers supporting generative AI, and has attracted financiers interested in buying NextEra Energy tax credits.” [Utility Dive, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

U.S. Oil Drillers Are Going Electric—And Hitting Speed Bumps — “In the country’s busiest oil field, frackers are devouring nearly as much electricity as four Seattles every day—and they are clamoring for more. Diamondback Energy FANG -0.05%decrease; red down pointing triangle, a major producer in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, has increasingly relied on the electric grid to power its crude harvesting. But as the driller’s oil production has grown nearly 50 times in the past 10 years, the grid has struggled to handle this new demand, prompting Diamondback to set up its own power network to cut its use of natural-gas-fired generators. ‘The grid has to catch up with the industrials and what’s going on here,’ said Hunter Landers, the company’s vice president of completions. As drillers have faced investor and public pressure to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, they have ditched polluting diesel-power generators and plugged into the grid at breakneck speed. Sourcing electricity increasingly generated by wind and solar power allows the companies to cut their carbon footprint. On top of making companies greener, utility-scale power means savings on fuel costs and more efficient operations, oil and gas executives say.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/24 (~)]

 

 

 

Op-Ed: Failed Biden Proposal Would Have Allowed Our Enemies To Control Our Land Use — According to Reps. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), “Who thinks it would be a good idea to give China, Russia or Iran the authority to block energy, food and mineral production on United States land? No one in their right mind, that’s for sure, but naturally the Biden administration tried. Fortunately, they failed, but this is a cautionary tale of why we must constantly remain vigilant and make sure the Biden administration isn’t abusing its authority in their war on domestic energy production. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) recently attempted to list Natural Asset Companies (NACs) — entities that aren’t designed to make a profit but would be used instead to control our public and private property rights while also manipulating policy based on ‘climate change’ doomsday scenarios.” [The Hill, 1/26/24 (-)]

 

 

 

California

 

Californian Port Gets $427M Boost For New Offshore Wind Infrastructure — “The U.S. government has awarded a major grant to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District for the construction of a new marine terminal to be primarily used for floating offshore wind-related activities. The grant for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind MVP (Minimum Viable Port) project comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant program, which received a substantial funding increase through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Humboldt Bay project will involve the construction of a modern marine terminal primarily for the transport, import, staging, preassembly, final assembly, launch, in-water construction, and long-term maintenance of floating offshore wind turbine devices in the area. The project also includes environmental protection measures such as an eco-shoreline.” [Maritime Logistics Professional, 1/26/24 (+)]

 

Colorado

 

BLM Eastern Colorado Plan Protects Future Oil And Gas Leasing On Public Lands — “The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,000 acres of public lands for decades to come. Conservation geographer Alison Gallensky with Rocky Mountain Wild said the plan does a good job of increasing protections for some 300,000 currently undeveloped acres, mostly along the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City. ‘By setting aside several hundred thousand acres,’ said Gallensky, ‘to stay the way they are now, for wildlife, for the headwaters for the different tributaries into the Arkansas River.’ In addition to protecting areas for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting - which bring over $54 million into local economies - Gallensky said these lands support healthy ecosystems that can help species survive in a changing climate. Some environmental groups criticized the BLM’s plan for keeping most acres open to oil and gas leasing, but the Western Energy Alliance defended the agency for balancing development with conservation.” [Public News Service, 1/29/24 (+)]

 

Future Outlined For 658,000 Acres Of Colorado Public Lands — “The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,000 acres of public lands for decades to come. Conservation geographer Alison Gallensky with Rocky Mountain Wild said the plan does a good job of increasing protections for some 300,000 currently undeveloped acres, mostly along the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City. ‘By setting aside several hundred thousand acres,’ said Gallensky, ‘to stay the way they are now, for wildlife, for the headwaters for the different tributaries into the Arkansas River.’ In addition to protecting areas for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting - which bring over $54 million into local economies - Gallensky said these lands support healthy ecosystems that can help species survive in a changing climate.” [Big News Network, 1/29/24 (=)]

 

Colorado Eyes Tighter Rules On Drilling — “Colorado’s oil and gas industry could soon face tougher scrutiny under a proposal that would require state regulators to consider numerous environmental impacts when permitting individual projects. The draft rules mark the latest step in the five-year transformation of the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission — formerly called the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission — from a body charged with encouraging drilling into one empowered to restrict it for climate, environmental justice and other reasons. ECMC’s proposal would change the way Colorado permits oil and gas operations, directing regulators to consider a project’s impact on the state’s overall carbon emissions, air quality and wildlife. Regulators would also have to consider how projects would affect communities that are already disproportionately polluted, as well as whether a project is within one mile of any industrial or manufacturing sites. The new regulatory framework would cover only the direct ‘addressable impacts’ from oil and gas projects and not the downstream planet-warming emissions from oil and gas use. Operators would have to disclose the greenhouse gas intensity of their operations.” [E&E News, 1/29/24 (=)]

 

TV: 7 News at 4 PM (Audience: 59,833) “>> Jason Gruenauer: Today is Rocky Mountain National Park’s 100th birthday. It’s the 9th oldest national park in the US. A lot of people experience the beauty of the park through its heavily traveled tourist route trail ridge road. It’s an impressive feat of engineering reaching more than 12,000 feet of elevation. At some point, Denver Seven’s Jeff Anastasio shows us the importance of this iconic stretch of Colorado road. >> Well, when you go up there, you feel actually like you’re on top of the world. good choosing the best adjective to describe these views. But there’s only one place to find trail ridge road is the highest continues paved road in the United States and it is an unbelievable road. Tammy Roberts has seen it all through her and I’m going down the road and I looked to the side and there’s this small herd of bull elk walking like next to me. It’s like I can’t believe it’s happening. the sunrises sunsets, a marvel for Kyle Patterson who has seen the lives of so many visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park forever changed. It’s just something that you have to experience because its top of the world views when you get to the top of Rocky, which the highest point is 12,183 feet, you have throughout that road. You experience all the different life zones of Rocky, whether it’s education and plants and shrubs and flowers or whether it’s the wildlife that calls those places home and Colorado experience. 48 miles nearly 100 years old trail ridge road starts before it actually exists. it’s a story history, Colorado is.” [KMGH-TV (ABC), 1/26/24 (+)]

 

Delaware

 

Dewey Residents Rail Against US Wind Offer — “After much public comment lambasting a $2 million community benefit proposal extended to the Town of Dewey Beach by US Wind, commissioners tabled a vote on the offer until at least September. At the Jan. 19 commissioners meeting, Mayor Bill Stevens said the town received hundreds of emails from residents who may have been misinformed that the noticed vote was to approve the windmills. ‘We’re not here to put the windmills out there,’ Stevens said. ‘I wanted the community to know that this is something I want you guys to weigh in on. Do you want the town to accept the community benefit to move forward, to delay the community benefit, or to decline the community benefit?’ In December, US Wind presented a community benefits package to select coastal towns that proposes paying each $100,000 annually for 20 years, for a total of $2 million, provided they will not use any discretionary authority to obstruct or delay the wind project. Payments would begin when construction begins.” [Cape Gazette, 1/27/24 (-)]

 

Maryland

 

Ørsted Breaks Maryland Wind Contracts Over 'Severe' Challenges To Wind Market — “Offshore wind developer Ørsted said Thursday it is backing out of its contract with Maryland for two huge offshore wind projects, in the latest sign of upheaval for the nascent industry. The move sets up a conundrum for Maryland’s new Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who recently increased the state’s offshore wind targets. Ørsted told the Maryland Public Service Commission in a filing Thursday evening that it would withdraw from an agreement with the state that guaranteed prices for the Skipjack projects — which together would generate enough power for 300,000 homes from federal leases off the coast of Maryland and Delaware. Ørsted cited ‘unprecedented cost increases on offshore wind developers’ and ‘severe’ market disruptions that rendered the wind farms commercially nonviable under the Maryland deal. In a statement, Ørsted Americas CEO David Hardy underscored that the company will continue to advance the Skipjack projects, which sit in a ‘strategically valuable’ area of the mid-Atlantic coast.” [E&E News, 1/26/24 (=)]

 

Montana

 

Proposed Missouri Headwaters Conservation Area Raises Big Concerns — “In September 2023 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) publicly rolled out a proposal to designate nearly 6 million acres of southwest Montana as the Missouri Headwaters Conservation Area (MHCA). The MHCA includes all of Beaverhead County and portions of Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Jefferson and Madison Counties – an area larger than each of the individual states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. While Montana is home to other FWS conservation areas, the MHCA dwarfs them by comparison, being 50 times larger than the Lost Trail Conservation Area and 500 times larger than the Swan Valley Conservation Area. Accordingly, numerous private landowners, business owners, citizens, as well as elected officials are raising big concerns and questions. MMA shares these concerns. What is the MHCA’s purpose? FWS contends the MHCA is the result of local landowner requests after working closely with communities and local officials for the past 18 months. At the four public meetings FWS held in October, most landowners speaking up from within the proposed area made it clear they do not support, nor did they request the MHCA. It was also evident local governments and communities were not consulted until late in the process.” [Elko Daily Free Press, 1/27/24 (=)]

 

New Mexico

 

Oil And Gas Gave Big To New Mexico Lawmakers In 2023 — “Large oil and gas companies gave nearly $800,000 in the past 12 months to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, partisan legislative political action committees and individual state lawmakers, according to a partial review of campaign finance reports filed by lobbyists. That amount almost certainly will grow in coming months due to a quirk in New Mexico’s disclosure laws. Elected officials don’t have to report contributions they received in the last quarter of last year until this spring. This story was first published by New Mexico In Depth. It is republished here with permission. The amount of money the industry showers on elected officials offers a glimpse into the influence it has at the state capitol during legislative sessions. The industry’s ability to shape legislation was on full display Thursday when a House committee substantively stripped a bill of new regulations that would have required oil and gas infrastructure to be set back more than a third of a mile from schools, health facilities, multifamily housing, occupied homes, and at least 300 feet from waterways.” [Source NM, 1/29/24 (=)]

 

 

 

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