DENVER – El reloj sigue su marcha en los últimos días de la Administración Obama, y el Buró de Administración de Tierras de los Estados Unidos recién terminó un conjunto de reglas para reducir el desperdicio de gas natural en tierras de propiedad pública.

Un estudio del “Environmental Defense Fund” muestra que se pierde el equivalente a 330 millones de dólares en fugas, quema y desfogue de gas –energía suficiente para abastecer durante un año a una ciudad como Denver.

Michael Surrusco, del grupo Contribuyentes a Favor del Sentido Común (“Taxpayers for common Sense”), dice que las nuevas normas también pueden meter dinero a las arcas del estado.

“La mayoría de tierras federales están en los estados del oeste. Esta regla significa que se capte más gas, que sea vendido y las regalías resultantes sean divididas entre el gobierno federal y los estados. Así que pudieran aumentar los ingresos a los estados.”

Pero la intención de la Administración Obama de limitar la emisión de residuos de gas natural en tierras públicas enfrenta una fuerte oposición por parte de los Congresistas Republicanos y las industrias del petróleo y del gas. Algunos prometieron revertir las normas, cosa que pudiera suceder días antes de que Obama deje la oficina oval.

Por lo pronto, el anuncio del Departamento del Interior fue seguido de inmediato por una demanda que interpuso una empresa petrolera y gasera. Varios grupos de la industria argumentan que los operadores ya están reduciendo las emisiones y dicen que las nuevas reglas subirían los costos.

Una encuesta del “Colorado College” encontró que el 80 por ciento de los habitantes del este, sin distinción de partidos, apoyan los esfuerzos por frenar los residuos de metano en tierras públicas.

Dawn Mullally, de la Asociación Pulmonar Americana (“American Lung Association”), dice que la administración entrante de Trump, y el Congreso controlado por los Republicanos, deberían tomar en cuenta el potencial de las reglas para reducir la contaminación del aire, que tiene un impacto directo en la salud pública.

“Tenemos esperanzas de que vean que es importante. No sólo estás protegiendo la salud de la comunidad, sino que también se desprende un beneficio económico al evitar que la gente se enferme y sea hospitalizada.”

En agosto la NASA confirmó que una nube de metano de 2,500 millas cuadradas sobre la región de Four Corners, se debía principalmente a la producción de petróleo y gas. El BLM agrega que además de reducir la polución del aire, las nuevas normas crearán un estándar nacional.

Desde 2014, cuando Colorado aplicó una regulación que limita la fuga de metano, los controladores han reportado una reducción del 75 por ciento en fugas de los equipos.

Las normas están (en inglés) en http://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/operations-and-production/methane-and-waste-prevention-rule. El reporte, en http://westernvaluesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Up-In-Flames.pdf Denver, CO – La decisión de la Administración Obama de limitar el desperdicio de gas natural en tierras públicas enfrenta la oposición de los Congresistas Republicanos y las industrias del petróleo y el gas.

El reloj sigue su marcha en los últimos días de la Administración Obama, y el Buró de Administración de Tierras de los Estados Unidos recién terminó las reglas para reducir el desperdicio de gas natural en tierras de propiedad pública.

Un estudio del “Western Values Project” muestra que se pierde el equivalente a 330 millones de dólares en fugas, quema y desfogue de gas –energía suficiente para abastecer durante un año a una ciudad como Denver.

Michael Surrusco, del grupo Contribuyentes a Favor del Sentido Común (“Taxpayers for common Sense”), dice que las nuevas normas también pueden meter dinero a las arcas del estado.

La mayoría de tierras federales están en los estados del oeste. Esta regla significa que se capte más gas, que sea vendido y las regalías resultantes sean divididas entre el gobierno federal y los estados. Así que pudiera aumentar los ingresos a los estados.

Algunos Congresistas Republicanos prometieron revertir las normas, lo que tendría efecto días antes de que Obama deje el cargo.

Al anuncio del Departamento del Interior le siguió de inmediato una demanda de una empresa petrolera y gasera.

Una encuesta del “Colorado College” encontró que el 80 por ciento de los habitantes del este, sin distinción de partidos, apoyan los esfuerzos por frenar los residuos de metano en tierras públicas.


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Minnesota is a leader in renewable energy - getting 54% of its electricity from zero-carbon sources last year, according to the 2024 Minnesota Energy Factsheet released today. The annual report comes from Clean Energy Economy Minnesota and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

Amelia Cerling-Hennes, managing director of public affairs with Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, said that's 12% better than the national average.

"We're really pleased to see about 600 megawatts of wind and solar getting added, and we're anticipating that that's going to be even higher next year as some of the large utility-scale projects that are being built right now kind of come online," she said.

Carbon emissions from the power sector also dropped 54% in 2023 with the retirement of part of the Sherco coal-fired power plant. Electric vehicle registrations went up 55%. Last year, Minnesota-based Cummins began shipping electrolyzers, which generate energy from hydrogen.

Andy Kim, president of the civil engineering firm EVS in Eden Prairie, said battery storage will be increasingly paired with large-scale solar projects in the future.

"You get uninterrupted power, you improve grid stability, and ultimately, it will lead to cost savings. And we see battery storage on at least half of our projects right now. And I would not be surprised if within the next two years, we see it on 80-90% of our projects," Kim said.

Cerling-Hennes adds the state made big strides policy-wise in 2023.

"So much happened last year, starting with passing 100% clean energy by 2040. And then following that up with a really historic energy omnibus bill. We created the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority. We funded high-voltage transmission," she said.

Tara Narayanan, lead analyst for North American regional trends with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said energy efficiency is working - electricity consumption went down even as productivity went up. However, she notes that we need to ramp up the clean-energy transition even faster if we are to meet the goals set by the Paris Accords.

"Compare where we are going against where the U.S. has committed to go, we're really not on track. We're really going to have to make dramatic efforts in order to get to where we had committed to be in 2013," Narayanan said.

The state got $800 million in climate funding from President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act.


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New federal funding aims to revolutionize solar energy access within New Mexico's Native American communities and benefit the state overall.

The Environmental Protection Agency's $7 billion "Solar for All" program is designed to create new or expanded low-income solar programs.

Talia Martin, co-executive director of the National Tribal Program for GRID Alternatives, said the funding will help bridge the clean energy gap in Native American communities.

"In New Mexico, tangible impacts would be for household savings," Martin explained. "Which means working directly with the tribes to ensure that the savings are going to individual households as well as to the community as a whole."

According to Martin, the $62 million EPA grant awarded to the GRID Tribal Program is its largest ever. Nationwide, the agency's program is set to help at least 4,700 households in Native American communities. Across the U.S., the EPA said the program will enable more than 900,000 low-income households and disadvantaged communities to benefit from distributed solar energy.

Martin emphasized the program will allow GRID to help bolster solar storage capabilities and implement essential upgrades, while at the same time advancing their mission to support the self-determined efforts of Native American tribes to deploy clean energy on tribal lands, arguing it will be important to recruit contractors who understand the needs of tribal communities they're working with.

"It's an amazing window for Indian Country to be involved in energy development," Martin pointed out. "We want to just help foster all these relationships that it is going to take to do that."

The state of New Mexico also received a grant of $156 million from the program to overcome existing barriers to widespread adoption of distributed solar generation. In addition to the federal money for solar, Array Technologies announced last week it will build a new $50 million solar manufacturing campus near Albuquerque.

A round of public testimony wrapped up this week as part of renewed efforts by a company seeking permit approval in North Dakota for an underground pipeline carrying carbon emissions. Economic benefits were again touted but the plan still has opponents.

Last year, North Dakota's Public Service Commission denied a permit request from Summit Carbon Solutions, which wants to build a maze of pipelines in several Midwestern states. Emissions from ethanol plants would be captured for underground storage in North Dakota.

Skott Skokos, executive director of the Dakota Resource Council, said they remain unconvinced it would be a worthwhile project.

"It felt like déjà vu," Skokos observed. "I don't think Summit did anything to relax the concerns of the public."

Company officials have submitted a new application with a revised route as they try to ease concerns about safety and landowner rights. During comment periods, Summit leaders and other speakers discussed how the project would provide economic boosts, including corn prices. However, skeptics restated their concerns about potential ruptures and lasting negative effects on the landscape.

Skokos pointed out large carbon-capture projects like these have yet to prove themselves, noting smaller initiatives are not as likely to rile up opponents. He pointed to the Red Trail ethanol plant in North Dakota.

"They're storing it, basically, almost on-site, next to the facility and they're not affecting a bunch of landowners in the process," Skokos emphasized.

The Summit regulatory case has two upcoming public hearings in North Dakota, one scheduled for May 24 and the other on June 4. The company has run into similar opposition and permitting headwinds in other states, including South Dakota.