Category: SB24-159

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New Bills in the Colorado Legislature

The following climate-related bills have been introduced in the Colorado Legislature for the Spring 2024 term:

  • HB24-1330: Air Quality Permitting
    Concerning modifications of processes to obtain permits for activities that impact air quality. This bill closes a loophole where oil & gas operators can currently apply for an air quality permit for each emitting source instead of considering the cumulative impact of all the infrastructure at a single pad.
  • SB24-159: Mod to Energy & Carbon Management Processes
    Concerning modifications to processes to further protect public health in energy and carbon management. This bill would phase out permitting for new oil & gas wells by 2030, and is scheduled to be heard in the Agriculture & Natural Resources committee on March 14th, 2024. See this fact sheet for more information.
  • SB24-165: Air Quality Improvements
    Concerning measures to reduce emissions of air pollutants that negatively impact air quality. This bill would limit nitrogen oxide emissions (a major contributor to our regional ozone problems), up to and including a prohibition on oil & gas preproduction activities during ozone season.
  • SB24-166: Air Quality Enforcement
    Concerning measures to increase the enforcement of violations that impact the environment. This bill increases the fines and penalties for repeat air quality violators.
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SB24-159 Media Coverage

We’ll update this post with additional media coverage as we find it. If you come across something we’ve missed, let us know.

PublishedSourceLink
Mar 13, 24Colorado NewslineHow a pair of scissors helps explain the deepest divide in Colorado climate policy
Mar 1, 24Colorado NewslineColorado climate activists rally at Capitol to support oil and gas phaseout bill
Feb 16, 24The Center SquareBill would stop new oil, gas permits in Colorado by 2030
Feb 14, 2024CPR NewsColorado is set to consider a ‘fossil fuel phase-out.’ Here’s why that’s a big deal
Feb 14, 2024The Fence PostColorado oil and gas ban bill introduced by Jaquez Lewis, Priola
Feb 12, 2024The Denver GazetteColorado Democrats push to end new oil drilling by 2030
Feb 10, 2024Denver Business JournalColorado legislators push to end oil well drilling by 2030 (Paywalled)
Feb 10, 2024The Sum & SubstanceComing bills would ban new oil-and-gas wells, stop summertime drilling
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Permitted vs Spud Wells by County

Now that the “SB24-159 Modifications to Energy & Carbon Management Processes” bill has been introduced in the legislature and is getting some media attention, industry advocates once again say that activists are trying to ban fossil fuel extraction today, right now, no exceptions. In reality, the legislation is meant to slow down and eventually stop the permitting process. Even this will take quite a bit of time.

The Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) makes available a daily data download for the visualizations available on the Daily Activity Dashboard. One of the sheets available in the Excel workbook is Spud Data, showing two interesting statistics for each county in Colorado:

Continue reading “Permitted vs Spud Wells by County”