Conservation, wilderness and water provisions long in the works were added to the massive energy bill.
Energy & Industry
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Will states find other revenue streams to weather the fossil fuel bust?
Powerhouses like Wyoming and Alaska are shrinking budgets, not looking for new sources of income.
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Uncertain future for Wyoming’s laid off coal miners
There’s some state support available but many workers face tough choices.
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A new Klamath water deal emerges, but unease persists
Agreement picks up the pieces of the failed landmark accords.
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How much do Western state budgets rely on extractive industries?
Resource-reliant states feel pinch as fossil-fuel revenue dwindles.
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The nation’s biggest coal mines lay off hundreds of workers
Cheap natural gas is the main culprit, but future job cuts will come from climate change policies.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
Latest: Arch Coal ends its pursuit of Otter Creek coal
The coal company has declared bankruptcy and is backing away from a project that sparked environmental concerns.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
You want to develop clean energy on tribal land? Here’s how.
Across North America, fossil-fuel extraction and production has long been robbing tribal communities of clean water, clean air and a secure future. The Navajo of the Southwest, the Houma of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Dene of Alberta, Canada, are some of the tribes sacrificing ancestral homes to oil and gas fracking projects, coal […]
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Fracking linked to groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming
Contaminants that likely came from fracking were found in an aquifer that supplies drinking water.
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Oregon’s energy plan offers a glimmer of hope for biomass energy
Advocates hope the timber-rich state’s decision to ditch coal could help revive the struggling industry.
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This is what an oil bust looks like
Low prices have energy companies and communities reeling as rig counts plummet and unemployment climbs.
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Interior Department waffles on Arctic oil and gas leasing
The federal government is asking Alaska Natives which areas are too sensitive to drill.
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Oil bust puts tribes, towns over a barrel
The Bakken bust has stranded schools and communities that hoped for revenue from a boom.
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Utah senator blocks emergency bill for Flint, Michigan
Lee’s opposition helps build his brand as a hardcore conservative.
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Forest Service rejects Grand Canyon luxury village
The setback is just the latest in a 30-year push to develop the rim.
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Are Clean Power Plan targets out of reach for Western states?
Experts say emissions targets are attainable, but uncertainty over how to get there remains.
Posted inMarch 7, 2016: The Parks You Don't Know
Protecting the Oregon Trail from the development it helped create
Dedicated volunteers fight to preserve one of the trails that brought settlers west.
Posted inFebruary 22, 2016: Fractured
The fractured terrain of oil and gas opposition
In one of the West’s biggest arguments, the battle lines are complicated and opaque.
Posted inFebruary 22, 2016: Fractured
Colorado activists set their sights on a ballot measure to limit drilling
Previous attempts have been blocked and current regulations disappoint.
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As oil prices drop, equipment theft climbs
Some experts point to laid-off workers, who know how much the items are worth.