With the discovery of additional reserves of natural gas in the Piceance Basin in 2016, our area now acknowledged to be the second largest repository of natural gas reserves in the nation. As efforts advance to find new markets and access for the West’s natural energy resources, a strong partnership with Utah’s Office of Energy Development and the Western Slope was created.
The Grand Junction Chamber has been a vocal advocate for supporting our local natural gas industry and developing global markets. The Chamber supported the Piceance to the Pacific Rim research and hosted a round table discussion that included both Kathleen Staks, Executive Director of the Governors’s Energy Office in Colorado and Laura Nelson, Advisor to Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Directory of Utah Office of Energy Development back in April 2018.
Those efforts, along with those of our Mesa County Commissioners, representatives from Garfield, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, the Northern Ute Indian Tribe, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), and the Utah Governor’s office of Energy Development, culminated in a ceremony on May 30th at the Governor’s Energy Summit in Salt Lake City.
The Grand Junction Chamber has been a vocal advocate for supporting our local natural gas industry, including hosting a round table discussion that included both Kathleen Staks, Executive Director of the Governors’s Energy Office in Colorado and Laura Nelson, Advisor to Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Directory of Utah Office of Energy Development back in April 2018.
Those efforts, along with those of our Mesa County Commissioners, representatives from Garfield, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, the Northern Ute Indian Tribe, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), and the Utah Governor’s office of Energy Development, culminated in a ceremony on May 30th at the Governor’s Energy Summit in Salt Lake City.
These partners gathered at the Energy Summit to expand the Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) agreement to include the Wyoming Pipeline Authority.
Dr. Laura Nelson, the Utah Governor’s energy advisor and the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Development went on to say, “The Governor’s Office of Energy Development is pleased to welcome the Wyoming Pipeline Authority to WSTN. Their collaboration effectively expands the partnership across Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Tribal Nations to promote the development of, and access to, our unparalleled Western energy resources and to growing economies overseas, all while providing for environmental outcomes. We’re proud to see, here in Utah, yet another opportunity to achieve win-win results by advancing strategic partnerships.”
“On behalf of our four western Colorado counties, we welcome the growing collaboration with the Utah Governor’s Office of Energy Development, the Ute Indian Tribe and the Wyoming Pipeline Authority. Marketing our natural gas resources collectively to countries in Asia and other viable markets will aid in the geo-political stabilization of our political allies overseas as well as strengthen our rural energy economies,” said Rose Pugliese, County Commissioner from Mesa County, Colorado.
The groups will focus on providing leadership and developing a strategic, collaborative approach toward natural gas development through 3 primary areas of focus including Education, Advocacy and Collaboration with a stated goal of developing solutions for rural economic development, tribal self-determination and natural gas flaring in western states.
Click here to download the full version of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce June 2019 Newsletter.