​DENVER – Western Energy Alliance today submitted comments on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed rule to list Natural Asset Companies (NAC) as a new category of publicly traded companies on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The association’s comments come right as the SEC withdrew the proposal shortly before the filing deadline. If advanced the proposal would have allowed NACs to monetize ecological values on public, private and tribal lands for “sustainable” activities and to prohibit productive activities such as oil and natural gas development.
 
The Alliance’s comments pointed out that the broad authority SEC proposed had no basis in law and conflicted with existing congressional mandates that explicitly delegate public land management to various federal agencies.

DENVER – Western Energy Alliance’s president, Kathleen Sgamma, will testify at a legislative hearing before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources in support of Rep. Harriet Hageman’s bill H.R. 6481 to require the Interior Secretary to reimburse expression of interest (EOI) fees on federal onshore oil and natural gas parcels if they become inactive. The bill addresses confusion on how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) implements the fee, which was created in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12th, at 10:30 a.m. ET, and will be available on the committee’s website.
 
“Rep. Hageman’s bill would correct one of the various flaws of the EOI provisions in IRA. First to identify the flaws. The EOI language in IRA, if unchanged, requires companies to pay a $5 per-acre fee for the acreage they nominate, regardless of whether the acreage is ever offered for sale,” said Sgamma. “Based on the large proportion of nominated acreage that BLM historically sits on for years and never brings to sale, the government is in the inappropriate position of charging for nothing. The government takes the money whether or not the service is rendered, something that certainly would not work in the private sector.”

• Natural gas is a primary source of U.S. leadership in lowering greenhouse gas emissions
• Super-Emitter program undermines lawful role of states and deputizes unaccountable activists
• Biden’s “whole-of-government” climate plans force energy scarcity and economic hardship

 
DENVER -- Western Energy Alliance today responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of final rules on methane emissions under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Section OOOOb and Emission Guidelines (EG) OOOOc. Administrator Michael Regan announced his agency’s decisions while attending the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) climate summit in Dubai. The following comments are attributable to Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma.
 
“The Biden Administration wants to show the world at COP28 that it’s doing something on climate change. Instead of touting the fact that the United States leads the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from increased natural gas electricity generation, the administration is choosing to overregulate an industry that has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than wind and solar combined.

DENVER – Western Energy Alliance will honor George Solich of FourPoint Energy and LongPoint Minerals, with the Wildcatter of the Year award in recognition of his achievements in business and community service. Solich has demonstrated unparalleled success across several oil and natural gas basins in the western United States while having a great impact on his community. As the 38th recipient of the Wildcatter award, he will be formally celebrated by leaders in the oil and natural gas industry at the Wildcatter of the Year gala on Saturday, November 4th.
 
“George Solich embodies everything the term Wildcatter stands for. He’s been a bold and successful risk taker for decades. What sets George Solich apart is his unparalleled vision for opportunities and ability to navigate through challenges that limit others,” said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance. “George is always thinking bigger and better. He has left his unique mark on the community through his drive to help students achieve greater success. He understands starting out with nothing and the challenges to overcoming what seem like insurmountable obstacles as a young person. His personal story drives his dedication to helping students tackle financial challenges and obtain an education that unlocks their future.”

DENVER – A coalition of oil and natural gas trade associations today pushed back on proposed public lands management proposals by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that will significantly reduce potential development of oil and natural gas on the West Slope of Colorado. Western Energy Alliance, West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association (WSCOGA), and Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) submitted a joint public comment letter to BLM highlighting multiple flaws with the agency’s analysis. The associations noted the use of outdated science from 20 years ago, the failure to recognize technological advances that reduce oil and natural gas’ footprint on the land.
 
The coalition responded to BLM’s Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO). The agency announced the pair of proposals in August in response to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado’s decision in 2018 in the case Wilderness Workshop v. BLM.