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More than 80 national park units, including Rocky Mountain National Park, sit next to public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 6, 2024

New BLM rule could help protect America's national parks

As critics work to roll back new Bureau of Land Management rules, public lands advocates are defending the agency's move to put conservation uses on …

$A fracking operation is shown on Colorado's front range east of Denver. The state had more than 12,000 hydraulic fracturing well operations in 2023. (Adobe Stock)$

Film documents environmental battle with Colorado oil, gas industry

A new film documents the 2018 battle between Colorado environmentalists and the oil and gas industry over proposed fracking regulations. The film …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

Supporters of Colorado's House Bill 1379 said it will help protect Coloradans from flooding, help ensure safe and sufficient drinking water and help preserve fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation to restore protections to key waters and wetlands struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a …

A wide body of research has linked traffic pollution to premature death, lung cancer, asthma and other negative health impacts. (Adobe Stock)

Nurses, environmental groups welcome Biden's clean car standards

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new tailpipe pollution standards that will give automakers more time to ramp up production of zero-…

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that Trump was

Report: Second Trump term would add 4 billion tons of climate pollution

As Coloradans begin to weigh their options in this year's presidential election, a new Carbon Brief analysis projects that a second Biden term would …

The Colorado Avalanche and Xcel Energy are helping fundraise for Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that in 2023 helped more than 38,289 Colorado households through energy efficiency gains, connecting with community solar gardens and crisis-intervention services. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Avalanche scores an assist on energy bills

The Colorado Avalanche has teamed up with Xcel Energy to generate funds to help people struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. Every time …

Nine in 10 voters across eight Mountain West states including Colorado want oil and gas companies, not federal and state governments, to pay for cleanup and restoration costs. (Adobe Stock)

West's Latino voters want conservation over development on public lands

Voters, including 74% of Republicans, 87% of Independents and 96% of Democrats, would support candidates in elections who prioritize conservation on …

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision held that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations. (Adobe Stock)

Tracking foreign interests in Colorado political campaigns

Despite federal laws that prohibit campaign contributions by people who are not United States citizens, foreign-influenced corporations and their …

In 2015, more than 1,230,000 visits to areas of public lands now protected by the BLM for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy. This ultimately supported 693 jobs and generated $40.1 million in personal income. (Vitaliy_melnik/Adobe Stock)

Eastern Colorado BLM plan protects future oil and gas leasing on public lands

The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,00…

The rule only indirectly affects consumers when they purchase a new vehicle starting in 2027, as it will likely impact the type of vehicle that is available for purchase, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. (Adobe Stock)

CO Rep. and local leaders advocate for strong federal clean car standards

A Colorado state representative and local leaders are advocating for the Environmental Protection Agency to enact strong federal clean-car standards f…

In 2019, Colorado adopted requirements for the state to cut climate-warming emissions in the near term at least 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PUC scales back renewable electricity, adds new natural-gas plants

Even though 2023 was the hottest year on record, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back …

Oil and natural gas operations are the source of nearly 30% of all methane emissions in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

New methane rule promises public health benefits

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, has become a global target in efforts to blunt the worst impacts of climate change. The Biden …

In 2022, Craig Unit 3 in Colorado emitted over 2.8 million tons of CO2, more than 1,700 tons of acid rain-causing SO2, and more than 2,900 tons of ozone-causing NOx. (Adobe Stock)

Tri-State's plan would close two coal-fired power plants

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider is leaning into federal Inflation Reduction Act dollars to retire two coal-fired power plants…

Nearly half of people living in Alamosa, where Xcel Energy plans to build one of three new natural gas power plants, identify as Hispanic or Latino according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental justice and Xcel plans for new fossil fuel power plants

Xcel Energy says its latest proposal before the Public Utilities Commission will help Colorado reach it's clean energy goals - by adding more wind and…

Colorado rate payers are still on the hook for $500 million after grid failures in Texas created a spike in natural gas prices in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Coloradans brace for winter heating bills

After Coloradans cranked up the heat to welcome family members for Thanksgiving dinner, many are worried about the price they will pay when their …

Solar canopies are expected to produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, and eliminate 70,000 metric tons of climate pollution over the next decade. (Adobe Stock)

Solar canopies throw shade on Colorado school parking lots

Colorado schools are joining the struggle to hold off the worst impacts of climate change and lower their energy bills by installing solar canopies on…

September marked the planet's fourth-hottest month in a row, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. (Adobe Stock)

Surge in renewables keeps hopes of averting worst climate impacts alive

Record growth in wind and solar energy, battery storage and electric vehicle sales have kept the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 within …

For every $1 invested in conserving Colorado's prime wildlife habitat, lands along streams, lakes and rivers, and farmlands -- such as the Avant Vineyards in Palisade -- through tax credits, Coloradans receive up to $12 in economic benefits. (Colorado West Land Trust)

Colorado land trusts get $1 million in lottery proceeds for conservation

Great Outdoors Colorado, the lottery-funded program to preserve natural resources, has awarded a second $1 million grant to fuel conservation efforts …

Data show people in rural communities are more likely to live in poverty, have higher mortality rates, and have higher rates of incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Rural America Organizes to Create More Opportunities

Overall, Colorado has been on the rebound since COVID-19 affected supply chains and shook economies across the globe. But many of the state's rural …

Regulation 28 is a result of a Colorado law aiming to reduce climate pollution from buildings by seven percent by 2026, and to reduce energy use by 20% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

CO Targets Apartment, Commercial, Industrial Building Climate Pollution

Colorado wants to reduce climate pollution from apartments and commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger, but there is growing concern …

So far, 283 projects in Colorado have been identified as priorities under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

IRA Funding Set to Boost Colorado's Clean Energy Economy

This month marks one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's first significant investment in addressing climate change…

U.S. oil producers are projected to hit an all-time high output, rising by 850,000 barrels per day, reaching 12.8 million barrels a day in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Rule Challenged by Oil Allies in Congress

Two bills making their way through Congress could throw out more than 216,000 public comments on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's new Public …

Greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings are responsible for an estimated 20 percent of the nation's total energy-related climate pollution, and are the third-largest contributor of emissions in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Xcel Plan to Reduce Emissions Includes Untested Technologies

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers required utilities supplying natural gas for heating homes and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025…

Colorado has been a leader nationally on protecting wildlife migration corridors, including vast tracts of grasslands key for wildlife connectivity. (Adobe Stock)

Impact of Lost Grasslands on Rural Economies and Carbon Sinks

More than 300 ranchers, tribal members, conservationists, researchers, federal and state agency officials gathered in Cheyenne last week to find ways …

Fossil fuel pollution needs to be cut by 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050, to avoid catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Methane Rule Sets Colorado on Course to Cash in on New Detection Tech

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a new rule requiring direct measurement of methane emissions at oil and gas sites, a move …

Credit unions are lending to households and small businesses to install solar and other improvements, which are costly up front, loans frequently considered too small by bigger banks. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Credit Union Helping Decarbonize Homes

July was the hottest month in recorded history, and a Colorado credit union is finding creative ways for low-income and other vulnerable residents to …

In 2015, 1,230,000 visits to areas within the ECRMP planning area for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy and supported 693 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Plan for Public Lands Along Arkansas River Heads to Gov. Polis

The Bureau of Land Management's plan for managing 658,000 acres of public lands in central Colorado includes new protections called for by community m…

Some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared with every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. (Adobe Stock)

Solar-Farming Combos Reducing Water Usage

By Jane Palmer for Ensia.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…

Rising temperatures as summer takes hold could stretch budgets for many Coloradans still struggling to pay off winter's price spikes. (Adobe Stock)

Summer Heat Brings Little Relief for High Utility Bills

The same families who had to apply for emergency assistance when heating bills skyrocketed this past winter could face similar challenges this summer…

Despite global promises to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, oil and gas production is nearing record levels in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Health Costs of Oil, Gas Production $77B Annually

Air pollution from oil and gas production contributes to thousands of premature deaths and childhood asthma cases each year, according to new …

BLM investments will be used to restore 323,000 acres of public lands in the San Luis Valley and 170,000 acres in North Park, home to important big-game migration corridors. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Makes Big Investment in Colorado Public Lands

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investing $161 million to restore public lands in Colorado and 10 other western states. Liz Rose, Colorado …

Building Solutions for 'Range Anxiety' Can Boost Electric Vehicle Transition

By Whitney Bauck for Reasons to be Cheerful and Nexus Media News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solu…

Last year Xcel Energy posted over $8.3 billion dollars in gross profits, with Colorado contributing more to Xcel's earnings than its other subsidiaries. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday Hearing on Xcel Energy Rate Increase Request Open to Public

On Wednesday, Xcel Energy customers will have a chance to tell the Colorado Public Utilities Commission what they think about the company's request - …

Oil and gas leasing are currently allowed on 90% of publicly-owned lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Seeks Coloradans' Input on New Public-Lands Rule Aiming for Balance

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding a public hearing today in Denver on its new rule, which aims to put conservation, protection of …

According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, there are currently more than 1,500 approved drilling permits that have not started production. (Adobe Stock)

Coalition Turns to CO Voters to Phase Out Fracking Permits

A coalition of grassroots groups is turning to Colorado voters in an effort to phase out all new oil and gas leases by 2030. Kate Christensen - an …

Signs someone could be having a stroke and needs immediate emergency care include loss of speech, vision or the inability to move their arms or legs or maintain balance. (Adobe Stock)

National Stroke Awareness Month Spotlights Environmental Factors

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's leading cause of disability and death, and are responsible for nearly a million deaths each year in the U.S.…

The fossil fuel industry successfully lobbied Congress to add billions of dollars for carbon capture technologies in the recently passed Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Unproven Tech Could Stall Action on Climate Change

Some 45 environmental groups across Colorado are sounding the alarm about a host of emerging technologies that have been attached to legislation aimin…

Between July 2022 and February 2023 Xcel Energy spent $296,000 lobbying Colorado lawmakers, the state's top spender. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Lawmakers Take on High Utility Bills

Colorado lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at addressing a growing chorus of concerns about spikes in utility bills by reducing the state's de…

Last year Xcel Energy posted more than $8.3 billion in gross profits. (Adobe Stock)

Public Comments Sought for Xcel Energy’s Most Recent Rate Hikes

Coloradans can now submit comments on Xcel Energy's proposal to increase base rates for electricity. Bill Levis, an AARP Colorado volunteer and …

For a typical Xcel customer, between November 2022 and January 2023, 80% of the increase in their utility bills can be attributed to gas. (Galatas)

'Rate Payer Revolt' in CO Calls for Ending Dependence on Gas-Fired Energy

Consumer advocates held a "Rate Payer Revolt" at the Colorado State Capitol yesterday, urging lawmakers to address what they see as the root cause of …

Wildfire experts plan to use unmanned drones to help improve early detection, battle fires more effectively, and to reseed and restore scarred forests. (Windsong/Adobe Stock)

Report Charts a Course for Mitigating Wildfire Risk

As wildfire seasons in Colorado and across the American West become longer, less predictable and increasingly destructive, a new report aims to …

Los beneficios brutos de Xcel Energy en 2022 fueron de 8.351 millones de d�lares, lo que supone un aumento de m�s del 10% respecto al a�o anterior. (Adobe Stock)

Ayuda disponible para pagar facturas de servicios públicos

A medida que los habitantes de Colorado siguen sufriendo el impacto de los precios cada vez que abren las facturas de luz, el volumen de llamadas a …

The 163 billion cubic feet of lost methane on public lands represents enough wasted natural gas to meet the needs of 2.2 million households; nearly as many households as New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming combined. (Adobe Stock)

Half Billion Dollars Worth of Natural Gas Lost Each Year on Public Lands

Oil and gas operators waste more than $500 million worth of natural gas on public lands every year, according to a new report. Chad Franke, …

In Colorado, outdoor recreation is considered to be a legally beneficial use of Colorado water. (Adobe Stock)

Revised Colorado Water Plan Prioritizes Conservation

A coalition of conservation groups is giving Colorado's revised state water plan a thumbs-up for its increased focus on protecting Colorado's rivers…

Nearly half of all Hispanic-Americans live in counties that frequently violate ground-level ozone standards. (Adobe Stock)

Public Health Benefits of Limiting Oil, Gas Methane Pollution

The public has until February 13th to weigh in on new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce methane pollution at oil and gas…

Green buildings are designed to reduce carbon footprints, and operational and maintenance costs, which boosts bottom lines for building owners and occupants. (Adobe Stock)

Building Construction in Colorado 7th Greenest in U.S.

Colorado ranks seventh nationally when it comes to addressing climate change in its building practices, according to the latest U.S. Green Building …

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CO: Energy Policy