A bipartisan coalition of business leaders is calling on Governors, state legislators and Members of Congress publicly express their opposition before tomorrow's election to proposals to "bankrupt" the U.S. coal industry and threaten to put out of work several hundred thousand Americans who work in coal-related industries.

The Roundtable has been carefully monitoring a new initiative recently launched by the Western Governors Association and the U.S. Department of Energy.  "The Western Renewables Energy Zones" (WREZ) initiative is focused on utilizing areas of the West with vast renewable resources to expedite development and delivery of renewable energy resources.  

Passage of comprehensive federal energy legislation was the No. 1 priority for the Roundtable in 2005. We were pleased that, after many years of effort, comprehensive legislation was passed and enacted into law. The final package contained a large number of the reform initiatives that the Roundtable relentlessly championed throughout the long, laborious legislative process.  

Unfortunately, the 110^th Congress saw Washington's energy policy focus shift from implementation of EPAct05 to its reopening.  A considerable amount of the Roundtable's 2007-08 resources were necessarily focused on a multi-faceted strategy to blunt momentum around a wholesale Congressional gutting of EPAct05's energy production and infrastructure development provisions. 

The nation’s electricity transmission system is in need of critical upgrades to safeguard its reliability.   That is the message delivered to the Department by the Western Business Roundtable. 

2008 saw a dramatic hike in energy prices.  Consumers began being pinched, both for the price of fuel and for other energy-sensitive goods and services.  This got Capitol Hill's attention.  The Roundtable, as part of a strong coalition of pro-domestic-production interest pushed back on those who sought to politicize the situation by characterizing American energy producers as “the problem.”   Working with a number of like-minded Members of Congress, we unveiled energy initiatives intended to increase the nation's supplies of domestically-produced resources.

The Roundtable is involved in a large number of issues of importance to the Western utility sector.  There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are:  climate change; energy supply constraints; generation and transmission infrastructure siting and development challenges; the growing number of Western Endangered Species species petitions; efforts to expand regulations (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, etc.) in ways that could negatively impact the sector.  

The Roundtable has been a leader in the promotion of Western oil shale as a critically important long-term contributor or the nation's energy security. 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (“EPAct05”) took significant steps toward a strengthening of our nation’s energy independence by encouraging further responsible development of domestic resources. Among them were oil shale, tar sands, and other strategic unconventional fuels. Under Section 369 of the statute, the Secretary of the Interior is required to develop an oil shale and tar sands leasing program as soon as practicable and publish a final regulation to implement the program. 

The Roundtable is involved in a large number of issues of importance to the oil and gas sector.   We are avid advocates for a robust fuel portfolio, including a significant role for Western oil and gas resources.

There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are: attempts to limit access to public lands for purposes of energy exploration and production; energy infrastructure siting and development challenges; the growing number of Western Endangered Species species petitions; efforts to expand regulations (climate change, Clean Water Act, etc.) in ways that could negatively impact the sector.  

The Roundtable is involved in a large number of issues of importance to the coal sector.   We are avid advocates for a robust fuel portfolio, including a significant role for Western coal resources.

There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are:  climate change; attempts to limit access to public lands for purposes of energy exploration and production; energy infrastructure siting and development challenges; the growing number of Western Endangered Species species petitions; efforts to expand regulations (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, etc.) in ways that could negatively impact the sector.  

The Roundtable is involved in a large number of issues of importance to the Western renewable energy sector.  There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are:  generation and transmission infrastructure siting and development challenges; the growing number of Western Endangered Species species petitions; efforts to expand regulations (Clean Water Act, etc.) in ways that could negatively impact the sector. 

A considerable amount of the Roundtable's resources, during the 110th Congress, went into fighting back advancement of legislation that seeks an extreme expansion of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Roundtable has been a national leader in organizing opposition to the "Oberstar bill," so-named because its chief sponsor is Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN).   

 It has become a perennial battle for coal-burning facilities (including coal-fired baseload electricity generation facilities and industrial burners): having to beat back assertions by opponents of the resource that coal combustion by-products (often known as "fly ash") is a dangerous pollutant that should be regulated heavily.  2007-08 followed the predictable path. 

In March, 2008, the U.S. Forest Service proposed amendments to its regulations governing hardrock mineral activities on National Forest lands. The purpose of the rulemaking was to implement the recommendations of the 1999 National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council’s study “Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands.” 

The U.S. Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is on the verge of releasing its long-awaited rulemaking that will make amendments to its stream buffer zone (SBZ) regulations for surface coal mines.  The final rule is expected to be issued in late November, 2008.

The Roundtable has added its support to a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management, which pushes back on efforts by the House Natural Resources Committee to insert itself into management decisions relative to energy and minerals development activities on federal lands.  

The U.S. Forest Service  proposed a rule to clarify new procedures to incorporate Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidance; and, in the words of the Agency, “better align Agency NEPA procedures with Agency decision processes.”   In October, 2008, DOI finally issued a final rule instituting revisions to its regulations, based on the CEQ guidance. To review the new rule, which will go into effect on November 15th, click here.

Reform of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has long been a dream for energy development interests hampered by its restrictive requirements and costly consequences. Prior to the 110th Congress, the Roundtable was a central player in efforts to achieve legislative reform of ESA. Of course, with the changing of the guard in Washington, we have adjusted our ESA priorities to other arenas.

The Roundtable scored a substantial victory in November when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he was abandoning his plans to ram through a huge omnibus public lands package during the lame duck session of the 110th Congress.  The Roundtable had led an effort by industry groups, multiple use advocates, state and local officials and private citizens to pressure the Leadership to table the legislation. See the Roundtable’s press release here.

2007 saw a shift in focus for the Roundtable on Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues. Whereas the previous few years we were able to focus primarily on regulatory and legislative reform initiatives, 2007 was dominated by a parade of listing petitions in the West. 

We are keeping our eye on a number of other looming threats related to ESA designations in the region. Many of these are clearly targeting energy development activities in the West.  Some of these are currently in litigation. Others we are watching for petition listing activities. The Roundtable specifically engaged on several specific petitions.

The Roundtable has added its support to a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management, which pushes back on efforts by the House Natural Resources Committee to insert itself into management decisions relative to energy and minerals development activities on federal lands.  

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  Key water-related legislation, important to our oil and gas members, crossed the finish line in 2008.  The Roundtable worked in coordination with oil and gas trade organizations to succesfully advance "The More Water, More Energy and Less Waste Act of 2007."  Sponsored by Colorado Congressional leaders Congressman Mark Udall and Senator Ken Salazar, the law directs the Department of Interior to conduct a study to identify the obstacles to putting so-called "produced water" (water from underground source that is brought to the surface as part of primarily oil and gas exploration and development activities) to beneficial use.  

The  U.S. generates more than five million gallons of produced water each day. While this water can be and is used for agricultural purposes, most often it is handled as a waste and re-injected. The new law is intended to begin laying out an approach regarding how development of produced water resources could supplement water resources, especially in the arid West

A considerable amount of the Roundtable's resources, during the 110th Congress, went into fighting back advancement of legislation that seeks an extreme expansion of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Roundtable has been a national leader in organizing opposition to the "Oberstar bill," so-named because its chief sponsor is Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN).   

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  2008 saw enactment into law legislation protective of energy and power customers at federal hydropower dams.  The Roundtable was a key member of the coalition of organizations that pushed that legislation through. 

Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation embarked on an aggressive program of anti-terrorism and site security measures at multi-purpose federal dams. Initially, Reclamation determined that the costs for increased security at federal dams would be the financial responsibility of the federal government, consistent with legislative precedent established in World War II.  However, In FY05, the Bureau shifted position and allocated costs of increased guards and patrols to water and hydropower customers.  The water and power communities opposed this effort, citing the security program's lack of cost controls, congressional oversight and transparency.

While the fight over wilderness designations is perennial, the heat turned up in the 110th Congress. Democratic control of both bodies of Congress has meant a serious up-tick in the number and scope of legislative initiatives to reduce access to public lands.  One of the chief concerns for the West in any discussion regarding federal land designations (be it  wilderness, national parks or national monuments) is the impact that such designations may have on existing state-adjudicated water rights.

The Roundtable is involved in a number of issues of importance to the hydropower sector.   We are avid advocates for a robust fuel portfolio, including a signficant -- and growing -- role for Western hydropower resources.  There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are the growing number of Endangered Species and water-quality issues.

The U.S. Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is on the verge of releasing its long-awaited rulemaking that will make amendments to its stream buffer zone (SBZ) regulations for surface coal mines.  The final rule is expected to be issued in late November, 2008.

The Western region has not been waiting for the feds to move forward on climate change initiatives.  Many states are already well underway with implementing various initiatives.  Most significant in 2008, has been the actions taken by the Western Climate Initiative (WCI).   The Roundtable has responded strongly to the recommendations. 

The Roundtable joined in a coalition effort which got enacted a new tax credit for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture/sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The so-called “Section 45Q” will encourage the use of CO2 from power plants in EOR operations, as a way to finance large demonstration projects of CO2 capture and sequestration technologies. 

In July, the Environmental Protection Agency released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking inviting public comment on the benefits/ramifications of regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA).  

2008 found an arcane set of federal air emissions standards that affect power generation, upstream and midstream oil and gas operations, refining, manufacturing facilities and other heavy industry operations once again on the Roundtable's radar screen.

In April 2001 the Federal Land Managers' Air Quality Related Values Workgroup ("FLAG") report was adopted as a guidance document to be followed by all federal land managers (FLMs) to evaluate the impact sof air pollution on Air Quality Related Values (AQRVs) in both Class I and Class II areas. (AQRVs include protection of flora, fauna, soil, water, visibility and recreation.)  The FLAG guidance document gives FLMs broad discretion to intervene, delay and even stop power projects from being developed - all under the guise of protecting visibility in Class 1 areas.