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Colorado’s industry and business groups are calling on Governor Jared Polis (D) to weigh in on discussions at the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) around dramatically increasing oil and natural gas setback distances. A coalition of 41 organizations sent a letter to Polis expressing concerns about the new …

A proposed rule to shift regulatory authority for mineral development on national forests and grasslands from the US Forest Service (USFS) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has raised criticism, but legal experts say the change is less a radical policy shift and more a realignment of priorities between …

Surging energy production in the Permian Basin of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico has meant a financial windfall for the area and the United States as a whole, but a lack of infrastructure is holding back the region says a new report from the Permian Strategic Partnership.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Committee (COGCC) stunned industry Wednesday by favoring a rule change that would quadruple the setback requirements for oil and gas operations—a proposal like one that voters overwhelmingly rejected in 2018. In response, industry leaders are urging the commission to reconsider its decision and recall that voters made a clear statement to regulators and have already rejected increasing the setback requirement.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s statement this week that he would not ban fracking if elected president was met with silence from environmental groups opposing oil and natural gas as they are seemingly unwilling to undercut his campaign.

Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with local communities, increase agency transparency, and speed up cleanup at challenging sites received a boost this week with the announcement of a new office based in Colorado focused on hardrock mining site rehabilitation. EPA Associate Deputy Administrator Doug Benevento unveiled the new Office of Mountains, Deserts and Plains on Wednesday, saying that “uniquely western work needs an integrated western presence.”

Two Montana senate candidates squared off over a carbon tax this week as western energy issues are getting more attention on the national campaign trail. Montana Senator Steve Daines (R) began by criticizing his opponent, sitting Governor Steve Bullock (D), in a letter sent Wednesday over a carbon pricing scheme proposed by the Montana Climate Solutions Council.  “Carbon pricing proposals undermine the free-market principles our nation was built upon, expand the reach of the federal government into Montanans’ daily lives, and disproportionately affect low-income households and energy-dependent, rural economies,” Daines wrote. “This reckless proposal is a gut punch to the over 35,000 oil, gas, and coal jobs in Montana, not to mention the thousands of manufacturing and transportations jobs that would also vanish under such policy.”