Audio

In Confidential Deal, Coal Company Pays Back Taxes To Colorado County

By |

Peabody Energy paid nearly one point eight million dollars in overdue taxes this week to a rural county in western Colorado, resolving, for now, a serious funding concern for a tiny school district there. Communities all over the country count on revenue from fossil fuel extraction to pay for basics like schools and roads. But with the downturn in coal, oil and gas, that steady stream of energy dollars is no longer assured.

Audio

Police And Pipeline Protesters Clash In North Dakota

By |

What started months ago as a dispute between a tribe and the federal government has escalated into clashes between protesters and police. More than 140 people were arrested Thursday during a tense standoff between police and Dakota Access pipeline protesters.

Audio

In A Race To Represent Coal Country, Two Visions For The Future

By |

What to do about coal jobs has been a major theme this election season, with each side pointing fingers at the other, from the presidential debate stage to local town halls. On Colorado’s western slope, two candidates running for Congress are divided on the issue and are nearly matched in campaign contributions as election day approaches.

Audio

Political Change Powers Up Wyoming’s Wind Industry

By |

The future for Wyoming’s wind industry is finally looking up. There are few places in the country with more wind energy potential than Wyoming, but the state has seen almost no new wind turbines built in six years, even while wind has boomed in the rest of the country. Depending on who you ask, the challenges have been political, technical or both. But now, the outlook is improving on all fronts.

Audio

No Fines, No Follow-Up After Massive Explosion At Wyoming Natural Gas Plant

By |

In 2014, a massive explosion tore through the Williams natural gas processing plant in Opal. It forced the evacuation of the southwestern Wyoming town and caused a spike in the price of natural gas. Wyoming’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an investigation in the aftermath and found a number of safety violations. But the agency never collected the corresponding fines and never released a final report about the investigation.

Audio

Pipeline Drama Casts Shadow Over Oil Industry

By |

The oil industry’s on edge while protesters try to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, and it’s not alone. Residents who live near the protest camps in North Dakota have to cope with an influx of people the area, posing traffic hazards and putting locals on alert.

Audio

Tribal Consultation At Heart Of Pipeline Fight

By |

Consultation, the formal process of communication between tribes and the federal government, has become a central issue in the fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline. But this is not the first time tribes have sued over consultation violations. These lawsuits are becoming more and more common thanks, in part, to actions taken by the Obama Administration.