Earlier this month, Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) signed a bill into law that’s intended to decrease ozone pollution stemming from oil and gas production in Colorado and establish an interim legislative committee to investigate solutions to the poor air quality affecting parts of Colorado.
environment
Checking In On “Irresponsible” Oil & Gas Companies: State Holding Some Accountable, Activists Say There’s More To Be Done
It’s been over a year since Colorado passed rules intended to hold oil & gas operators accountable for plugging their wells once they’re finished with them.
CO Oil & Gas Industry Celebrates Passage of Debt Deal, Citing Slashed Environmental Protections
6/3/23: Updated with comment from 350 Colorado.
Report: CO Pension Fund Mostly Votes Against ESG Resolutions, Fails to Address Climate Change
A report released last week revealed that the Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA), Colorado’s pension fund for state workers, voted against 61% of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) resolutions proposed by companies it was invested in during the 2022 proxy season.
Climate Groups Raise Concerns Over Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, and Nuclear Technologies in Colorado
In 2021, Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) outlined a roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado 50% by 2030 and achieve 100% renewable energy in the state by 2040. As these deadlines approach, nuclear energy, carbon capture technology, and hydrogen are being proposed by some as ways to offset carbon emissions from fossil fuel production, theoretically making the deadlines easier for the state to hit.
Ratepayers, Activists Decry Xcel Energy Bill Surges at CO Capitol, Lawmakers Promise to Take Action
Environmental groups and Colorado residents gathered outside the state Capitol Wednesday to decry the burden of skyrocketing energy bills and ask state lawmakers to take action. At the rally, two lawmakers promised to introduce a bill aiming to address the rally attendees’ concerns.
Environmentalist: Only 6 of 135 Pollution Events at Oil & Gas Wells in CO in 2022 Were Inspected by the State
Last month, environmental activist and certified gas imaging thermographer Andrew Klooster released a report on his work in 2022 filming hydrocarbon emissions at oil and gas facilities. More than 95% of the potential issues of improper emissions reported to state air quality regulators led not to an onsite investigation by the state but only to an inspection by the owners of these facilities.
Environmentalists Flabbergasted That Oil & Gas Companies Aren’t Required To Directly Measure Their Air Pollution
Environmental activists are closely watching a rulemaking process by Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) that could change how greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas production are measured. This process, known as the greenhouse gas intensity verification rule development, is part of the larger-scale plan proposed by Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.
Big Oil Booster: Boebert Pushes Industry-Backed Effort to Cut Drilling Regulations
Last week, Denver Business Journal reported that Colorado oil and gas companies raked in billions of dollars in profits in 2022. Despite this, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) says that energy companies are overregulated, and these regulations are clamping down on rural communities’ livelihoods.
Leaks, Vents, Flares: Colorado Among Top States in Wasted Natural Gas on Public Lands, New Study Finds
A new economic analysis released last week found that oil and gas companies operating on public and tribal lands in Colorado lost nearly $1 million in state revenue in 2019 due to leaky wells.