DENVER -- Western Energy Alliance today responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of final rules on methane emissions under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Section OOOOb and Emission Guidelines (EG) OOOOc. Administrator Michael Regan announced his agency’s decisions while attending the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) climate summit in Dubai. The following comments are attributable to Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma. “The Biden Administration wants to show the world at COP28 that it’s doing something on climate change. Instead of touting the fact that the United States leads the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from increased natural gas electricity generation, the administration is choosing to overregulate an industry that has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than wind and solar combined. DENVER – Western Energy Alliance will honor George Solich of FourPoint Energy and LongPoint Minerals, with the Wildcatter of the Year award in recognition of his achievements in business and community service. Solich has demonstrated unparalleled success across several oil and natural gas basins in the western United States while having a great impact on his community. As the 38th recipient of the Wildcatter award, he will be formally celebrated by leaders in the oil and natural gas industry at the Wildcatter of the Year gala on Saturday, November 4th.
“George Solich embodies everything the term Wildcatter stands for. He’s been a bold and successful risk taker for decades. What sets George Solich apart is his unparalleled vision for opportunities and ability to navigate through challenges that limit others,” said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance. “George is always thinking bigger and better. He has left his unique mark on the community through his drive to help students achieve greater success. He understands starting out with nothing and the challenges to overcoming what seem like insurmountable obstacles as a young person. His personal story drives his dedication to helping students tackle financial challenges and obtain an education that unlocks their future.” DENVER – A coalition of oil and natural gas trade associations today pushed back on proposed public lands management proposals by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that will significantly reduce potential development of oil and natural gas on the West Slope of Colorado. Western Energy Alliance, West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association (WSCOGA), and Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) submitted a joint public comment letter to BLM highlighting multiple flaws with the agency’s analysis. The associations noted the use of outdated science from 20 years ago, the failure to recognize technological advances that reduce oil and natural gas’ footprint on the land.
The coalition responded to BLM’s Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO). The agency announced the pair of proposals in August in response to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado’s decision in 2018 in the case Wilderness Workshop v. BLM. DENVER -- Today, Western Energy Alliance urged Congress to reach an agreement on federal spending for Fiscal Year 2024 to avoid a government shutdown. The disruptions from a shutdown, however long, will have negative impacts on American energy production in the short-term while adding to the long-term uncertainty inherent in development on federal lands.
“The Biden Administration is already hostile to American oil and natural gas production; it doesn’t need another excuse to further block development on federal lands and waters. The handful of Republicans in Congress standing in the way of a deal basically want to stand with President Biden in owning some of the energy inflation caused by his administration’s efforts to slow walk oil and natural gas,” said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance. “The bureaucracy at the Interior Department already uses the least excuse for delaying and preventing approvals on federal lands and waters. A government shutdown is another excuse for bureaucrats not to do their jobs, but it also hands the political leadership a get-out-of-jail-free card. They will use the shutdown, however long, as a reason to further delay projects and leasing.
DENVER – Western Energy Alliance submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) responding to the proposed Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule, which would increase costs on American energy development and production and further exacerbate energy inflation. The trade association’s public comment letter addresses economic harms that would be created by BLM going beyond what Congress passed last year in the Inflation Reduction Act (BLM), such as increasing bonding rates twenty-fold and further discouraging American oil and natural gas production. |
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