January 29, 2019
Picking up where we last left off:
The Biden oil and gas decision's effect on Wyoming, explained
Well done article in the CST.
Cont:
Governor
Gordon Issues Executive Order Directing State Agencies to Determine Impacts of
Federal Oil and Gas Lease Ban
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has
issued an Executive Order (EO) directing state agencies to examine the
financial impacts of President Biden’s ban on new sales of federal oil and gas
leases as well as the potential legal options available to Wyoming.
“These orders issued by the new administration
are a direct attack on Wyoming and our way of life. I am directing members of
my cabinet to examine the economic, financial and workforce impacts of the
President’s actions,” Governor Gordon said. “I will continue to fight these
misguided and destructive policies by all means necessary. The way to move
America forward is not through crushing her Western states.”
Executive Order 2021-01 includes four
components. Along with instructing state agencies to examine the financial
impacts of the drilling ban, it also asks them to examine the impacts to oil
and gas employment in Wyoming. In addition, the Governor’s EO instructs
agencies to coordinate with the Governor’s Office on efforts to challenge the
order, as well as identify potential litigation that the state may want to
pursue.
Executive Order 2021-01 is attached and may be
found on Governor Gordon’s website.
--END--
February 2, 2021
The 2021 Wyoming Legislature, Part 1
February 2, 2021
The legislature rejected an attempt to require the PSC to impose a moratorium on the closure of coal fired plants. The attempt was in the form of a bill on supplemental funding for the PSC which would have tied the funding to the PSC taking this step. The measure narrowly failed.
The bill would have required the PSC to impose a moratorium on closures until 2035 as "a statement".
Legislators supporting the bill have been angered by the PSC's allowance of closures, but this raises an interesting economic point in that the facility owners are closing them for economic reasons, not policy ones. As we've noted here before, this has much more to do with the very long term decline of coal than anything else. Given that, forcing the plants to remain open is oddly anti free market and punished the owners of the plants, and the shareholders of those corporations, due to a market trend.
What the supporters really hope is that a case at the Supreme Court right now will result in Montana, Oregon and Washington being forced to accept Wyoming coal by rail, to an as of now nonexistent coal shipping port. It might be of note that this same week a new generation of Chinese nuclear power plant came on line and that they've been building nuclear plants rapidly. The trend line is clear, even though China has built a large number of coal fired plants as well. Of course, coal fired power plants are specifically designed for coal from certain fields and there's no real good reason to believe that the Chinese would be receptive to large amounts of Wyoming coal even if it could be shipped. Moreover, the current administration will undoubtedly block the shipment of coal in any event.
February 4, 2021
A UW symposium on the recent Biden Administration orders is of the opinion that the recent orders could slow development on carbon sequestration.
February 5, 2021
The 2021 Wyoming Legislature, Part 1
Governor Gordon Unveils His Initiative to Strengthen and Expand Wyoming’s Economic Pillars
Multi-pronged Effort Will Boost Wyoming’s Energy, Tourism and Agriculture Sectors
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon is taking steps to expand Wyoming’s economic recovery, with a series of proposals and initiatives to further the state’s economic plan by adding value to and bolstering the state’s energy, tourism and agriculture sectors.
Energy
The Governor is redoubling efforts to strengthen Wyoming’s economy and an “all the above” energy industry. Energy and mining are the largest providers of Wyoming’s revenues and have enormous impacts on the state's wider employment picture as well. The Governor’s effort became even more important after last week’s announcement by the Biden administration banning new oil and gas leases. The Governor supports bills granting severance tax relief to the energy industry and enhancing the ability of the newly created Wyoming Energy Authority to encourage development of carbon capture technology, trona, rare earth elements and critical minerals.
“The energy and mining sectors are the major pillars of our economy and they have provided the wherewithal that gives this nation the luxury of looking to new forms of energy,” Governor Gordon said. “Let me be clear. Our traditional industries will adapt and continue to provide the reliable, affordable and dispatchable power they always have, only better. Our economic recovery will hinge on the health of these industries and their ability to adapt to changing market demands. Wyoming can continue to grow even as our mix of energy supplies evolve.”
“While some are suggesting the early demise of coal – and right now it faces many challenges – we believe that coal coupled with new technologies is an essential part of the solution to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere,” the Governor continued. “Carbon capture and the development of carbon byproducts will be part of Wyoming’s energy future. So too, should be efforts to research extracting the rare earth elements and critical minerals associated with coal that will be needed for the batteries powering the anticipated worldwide build-out of wind and solar power.”
Tourism
Tourism continues to be a major driver of the state’s economy and employs the most Wyoming people. 2020 brought in record numbers of visitors, supporting Wyoming businesses and sustaining jobs for residents. HB0058, sponsored by the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources committee, would allow for a $1.1 million general fund reduction to State Parks with little to no impact to customer service or safety by allowing them to use self-generated funds (fees) to a greater degree for operations and outdoor recreation, rather than capital construction. This supports our economy and local communities.
“Our State Parks provide world-class experiences and opportunities for tourists and residents alike and saw a statewide increase of roughly 36% in visitation last year, a trend that is expected to continue into 2021,” Governor Gordon said. “It’s critical to ensure we continue to properly fund these parks and historic sites, which play a critical role in our state’s economy.”
Agriculture
Multiple bills related to meat processing are being considered at this time and the Governor is working with the legislature to expand processing capacity in the state.
“This is only a part of an ambitious initiative focused on adding value to products across the entire spectrum of agricultural enterprise,” said Governor Gordon. “This effort is essential to grow this key part of our economy.”
Of particular interest to both the Governor and the First Lady is HB0052 Wyoming School Protein Enhancement Project sponsored by the Joint Agriculture Committee. Not only would this bill help school districts increase Wyoming meat products in school nutrition programs, it would provide another opportunity to feed those children who do not get enough to eat every day, a major emphasis of the First Lady’s Hunger Initiative.
The Governor welcomed the passage of HB-0053 Invasive Plant Species today. The legislation would implement several of the recommendations made in the final report of the Governor’s Invasive Species Initiative and allow local districts more latitude when implementing special management programs for invasive species.
Senator Tara Nethercott, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Speaker of the House Eric Barlow are developing a bill to improve the Attorney General's civil enforcement authority in antitrust matters, providing a much-needed update to the state statute meant to ensure fair competition within Wyoming's marketplace. In 2020, Wyoming ranchers were adversely impacted by consolidations and acquisitions within the broader agriculture industry. However, the State was barred from investigating these actions because current state antitrust laws do not allow the Attorney General to investigate potential violations.
Speaker Barlow and Senator Nethercott's bill ensures that Wyoming will not need to rely on other states or the federal government to assert our residents' interests in a competitive market which benefits businesses and consumers alike. The bill will not only benefit our agriculture industry, but will ensure fair competition across all markets in Wyoming, the Governor said.
“Protecting our ranching and agricultural community is more important now than ever with Wyoming's challenging economic outlook,” Senator Nethercott said. “The market manipulation we have seen this past year highlighting our nation's meat prices is harmful to Wyoming producers and consumers. I am proud to sponsor this bill to empower our Attorney General to act first in protecting all of Wyoming's industries and consumers from these unlawful practices.”
-END-
February 6, 2021
Casper College is laying off or not filling fifteen positions.
The Decker coal mine in Montana has closed.
Decker is a Powder River Basin coal mine. It's the first Powder River Basin coal mine to close in a century.
February 8, 2021
The price of oil is now $58.00/bbl. 40% higher than six months ago.
February 11, 2021
Arch is closing its Coal Creek mine in the Powder River Basin.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation released its 2020 study in aviation in the state:
The 2020 Wyoming Department of Transportation Aviation Economic Impact Study.
Well, worth reading in its many subparts.
2020 Aviation Economic Impact Study
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