Inside Energy (https://insideenergy.org/author/cmckim/)
Tax reform is going to impact renewables, oil and gas, and energy overall in the western U.S. Now that the President has signed the final tax bill into law, what does it mean for western energy? Inside Energy helps unpack.
It’s been a busy week for lawmakers in the nation’s capital pushing their bills that fall in line with the Trump Administration’s energy dominance agenda. Congresswoman Liz Cheney is working to make it harder for federal agency’s to unilaterally approve a federal coal leasing ban. Congressman Evan Jenkins is seeking to do away with the Obama-era social cost of carbon calculation. E & E Reporter Dylan Brown walks us through what happened and why it’s important.
The Department of Interior officially re-opened the 2015 sage grouse management plans last month. They took over a decade of compromise and negotiation to put together, with Wyoming as leader. Many people involved in the process are nervous that the current administration could damage the integrity of the plans, while others see it as an opportunity to make needed improvements. One of those groups include a gold exploration company — pictured with the office dog, Ruby.
Wyoming has the sixth highest wind capacity potential in the country, but it sits at 15th in actual production. With new transmission lines and soon-to-end federal subsidies, now could be the time for Wyoming to take a leap forward in wind investment. But several barriers block the western state’s way from becoming a leader in this renewable energy.
When a coal company wants to dig on federal land, the Bureau of Land Management figures out an environmental impact statement for them. They look at how exactly the new development will affect the environment. But not until recently did these documents start to include how they might affect climate change. A federal appellate court is moving the US a step closer to figuring that out.
Since January, Trump has been seeking to roll-back environmental regulations issued by President Obama. Those include fuel standards and greenhouse gas emissions limits at electricity generators. Former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy was a leader in many of those regulations. In her recent visit to Wyoming, she talks about the importance and long-term impact of the changes happening now to environmental regulations.
The Interior Department is proposing changes to the 2015 Greater Sage Grouse Plans. Inside Energy looks at the impact these changes could have on the spirit of compromise across the west.
The sage grouse is back in the national discussion. The Department of Interior is loosening rules that protect the western, chicken-sized bird; recommendations include giving states more leniency in enforcing the rules and easing restrictions on land development. The two-year old conservation plan helped the sage grouse avoid an endangered listing under the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Many environmentalists are concerned the changes could spell doom for the vulnerable species.
A region in Wyoming has some of the strongest emissions regulation on the oil and gas industry in the country. Companies operating in the Upper Green River Basin are required to reduce air pollutants that lead to ozone. Obama-era methane regulations use the basin’s rules as a model and are now on the verge of enforcement nationwide. With five years of experience under it’s belt, the region can show what works and what doesn’t in reducing its own air emissions.
