Latest news with #WestSlope
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oil and gas industry targets Colorado's emission rules as Trump urges repeal of state-level energy overreach
Western Colorado oil industry stakeholders are suing the Centennial State, in a bid that they say serves to protect energy security and job interests in the region. Specifically, the West Slope Oil & Gas Association — a branch of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association umbrella group — recently filed a complaint against the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission's newly adopted Midstream Oil and Gas Rule. The lawsuit was submitted on March 21 but only made public in a press release last week, just days after President Trump issued an executive order that sought to protect 'American energy from state overreach.' The complaint, filed in Denver County's District Court, cites grave economic damage, infeasible implementation requirements and harm to local communities and the environment. In filing the suit, the West Slope group explained that it seeks to safeguard the state's 'critical oil and gas industry,' which generated more than $48 billion for Colorado's economy and $15.4 billion in direct labor revenue in 2021 alone. 'Colorado's overly prescriptive and inflexible regulations have unfairly targeted the midstream operators in Western Colorado, where economic realities and logistical challenges differ significantly from the Front Range,' said Cody Davis, commissioner of Mesa County, in a statement. Davis — whose county is located along the Western Slope, the part of the state west of the Continental Divide — stressed that fossil fuel industry operators 'have consistently proven their commitment to environmental stewardship.' 'Yet the Commission's one-size-fits-all approach has failed to recognize the impractical and devastating effects these new regulations will have on our West Slope communities,' the commissioner added. The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted the midstream rule in December, with an effective date of Feb. 15. The first-in-nation rule addresses emissions from midstream oil and gas operations, such as facilities that gather, compress and process natural gas, as well as engines, turbines and heaters. Under the regulation, midstream facilitates have until 2030 to meet greenhouse gas emissions limits and must maintain these reduced levels each year thereafter, while adhering to additional targets beyond 2030. The West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association noted that in reality, this means that local operators whose pipelines and facilities transport natural gas to businesses and homes would need to cut emissions by 20.5 percent from 2015 levels by 2030. 'By ignoring local conditions, these mandates have now threatened jobs, jeopardized essential local tax revenue, and risk pushing our operators and their families out of Colorado,' Chelsie Miera, executive director of the association, said in a statement. 'We need to produce more energy in Colorado, not less,' she added. While the lawsuit was made public just days after Trump's executive order, Miera told The Hill in an email that the federal action 'is separate and different than our challenge here.' She acknowledged, however, that her group does 'agree that we should be producing more energy in Colorado, not less.' The Hill has reached out to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Air Pollution Control Division for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
14-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Oil and gas industry targets Colorado's emission rules as Trump urges repeal of state-level energy overreach
Western Colorado oil industry stakeholders are suing the Centennial State, in a bid that they say serves to protect energy security and job interests in the region. Specifically, the West Slope Oil & Gas Association — a branch of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association umbrella group — recently filed a complaint against the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission's newly adopted Midstream Oil and Gas Rule. The lawsuit was submitted on March 21 but only made public in a press release last week, just days after President Trump issued an executive order that sought to protect 'American energy from state overreach.' The complaint, filed in Denver County's District Court, cites grave economic damage, infeasible implementation requirements and harm to local communities and the environment. In filing the suit, the West Slope group explained that it seeks to safeguard the state's 'critical oil and gas industry,' which generated more than $48 billion for Colorado's economy and $15.4 billion in direct labor revenue in 2021 alone. 'Colorado's overly prescriptive and inflexible regulations have unfairly targeted the midstream operators in Western Colorado, where economic realities and logistical challenges differ significantly from the Front Range,' Cody Davis, commissioner of Mesa County, said in a statement. Davis — whose county is located along the Western Slope, the part of the state west of the Continental Divide — stressed that fossil fuel industry operators 'have consistently proven their commitment to environmental stewardship.' 'Yet the Commission's one-size-fits-all approach has failed to recognize the impractical and devastating effects these new regulations will have on our West Slope communities,' the commissioner added. The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted the midstream rule in December, with an effective date of February 15. The first-in-nation rule addresses emissions from midstream oil and gas operations, such as facilities that gather, compress and process natural gas, as well as engines, turbines and heaters. Under the regulation, midstream facilitates have until 2030 to meet greenhouse gas emissions limits and must maintain these reduced levels each year thereafter, while adhering to additional targets beyond 2030. The West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association noted that in reality, this means that local operators whose pipelines and facilities transport natural gas to businesses and homes would need to cut emissions by 20.5 percent from 2015 levels by 2030. 'By ignoring local conditions, these mandates have now threatened jobs, jeopardized essential local tax revenue, and risk pushing our operators and their families out of Colorado,' Chelsie Miera, executive director of the association, said in a statement. 'We need to produce more energy in Colorado, not less,' she added. While the lawsuit was made public just days after Trump's executive order, Miera told The Hill in an email that the federal action 'is separate and different than our challenge here.' She acknowledged, however, that her group does 'agree that we should be producing more energy in Colorado, not less.'
