POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR WEST COLORADO LNG EXPORT TRADE

27 Jun, 2017

Grand  Valley  Delegation  in  D.C.  to  Support  Western  Colorado Energy  Trade,  Jordan  Cove  Pipeline  Project

GRAND  JUNCTION,  CO  (June  26,  2017)– Last  week  a  delegation  of  civic  and  business  leaders  from  the  Grand  Valley  visited  Washington  D.C.  to  advocate  for  the  completion  of  the  Jordan  Cove  pipeline  project  and  highlight  Western  Colorado’s  role  in  the  global  trade of  Liquefied  Natural  Gas  (LNG) and  other  energy  export  products. The  visit  was  coordinated  with  the  office of  U.S.  Senator  Cory  Garner  (R-­Colo.)  and  occurred  in  concert  with  the  Colorado  Capital  Conference June  21‐23.

The  delegation  consisted  of  Mesa  County  Commissioner  Rose  Pugliese  (R);  Derek  Wagner,  Vice  President  for  Intergovernmental  and  Community  Affairs at Colorado  Mesa  University  in  Grand  Junction;  David  Ludlam,  Executive  Director  at  West  Slope  Colorado  Oil & Gas  Association (WSCOGA); and Kristi  Pollard,  Executive  Director  of  the  Grand  Junction  Economic  Partnership.  Rio  Blanco  County Commissioner  Shawn  Bolton  also  participated.

The  delegation  met  with  members  of  the  U.S.  State  Department;  Chairman  Cheryl  A.  LaFleur  of  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory Commission  (FERC);  Mike  Cantanzaro,  Special  Assistant  to  the  President  for  Energy  National  Economic  Council;  and  Lucian  “Lou”  Pugliaresi,  President  of  the  Energy  Policy  Research  Foundation  (EPRINC).

“I  am  pleased  to  have  been  a  part  of  the  delegation  touting  the  economic  benefits  of  the  Jordan  Cove  project  in  Washington,  D.C.,”  said  Pollard.  “From  the  State  Department  to  FERC, to the  White  House,  we  heard  resounding  support  for  changing  the  economy  in  rural  America  and  creating  new  export  markets  for  LNG.”

“The  positive  response  we  received  at  each  of  our  meetings  was  heartening,”  added  Wagner.  “It  is  clear  that  our  efforts  in  D.C.  were  appreciated  last  week,  and that  we  should  keep  pushing  the  potential  of  the  Piceance  Basin every  chance  we  get.”
Commissioner  Pugliese  asserted,  “I  am  grateful  to  have  had  an  opportunity  to  advocate  to  high  level  Trump  Administration  officials  on  behalf  of  the  Jordan  Cove  project  and  the  opportunities  this  project  will  bring  for  job  and  business  growth  to  our  Northwest  Colorado  counties.”

One  year  ago,  under  the  previous  Administration,  FERC  rejected  a  $5.3  billion  proposal  to  build  a  natural  gas  export  terminal  in  Oregon’s  Jordan  Cove,  and  a  pipeline  that  would  supply  LNG  from  the  Piceance  Basin  to  the  terminal.  The  Western  Colorado  energy  industry,  including  members  of  the  delegation  in  D.C.,  have  consistently  advocated  to  revisit  the  proposal.

In  January,  FERC  ignited  hopes  that  the  proposal  would  be  approved  in  a  rehearing  when  it  granted  a  request  for  a  federal  pre‐filing review  process,  currently  underway.

Jeter  Thomas,  CFO  of  Caerus  Oil  and Gas,  which  operates  in  the  Piceance  Basin,  and  a  member  of  the  WSCOGA,  addressed  the
efforts  of  the  delegation:  “Caerus  Oil  and  Gas  applauds  civic  leaders  of  the  Piceance  Basin  for  their  hard  work  opening  new markets  for Western  Colorado  natural  gas,  and  forging  new  relations  with  possible  overseas allies.  Their  efforts  assist  Piceance  producers  as  we continue  unlocking  the  basins’  energy  and  economic  potential  in  the  years  to  come.”

The  Grand  Junction  Economic  Partnership  (GJEP)  and  the  Unconventional  Energy  Center  at  Colorado  Mesa  University  recently  released  a  study  titled  “The  Piceance  to  the  Pacific  – The  Economic  Advantage  the  Piceance  Basin  Has  Over  Other  North  American  Shale  Plays”, which  emphasizes  the  manufacturing  potential  in  Western  Colorado’s  Mancos  Shale  Energy  Reserves  and  potential  for  export,  particularly  to  Asian  markets.  The  report,  which  can  be  found  here,  served  as  a  basis  of  the  discussions  in  D.C.

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About the Colorado Mesa University Unconventional Energy Center

The Unconventional Energy Center was established in response to a community driven process which identified the need to establish Mesa County as an epicenter of energy innovation. The primary focus of the Center is on applied undergraduate research projects that help unconventional energy development practitioners with regulatory predictability, reducing operating costs, increasing the effectiveness of extraction and reducing impacts on the environment. Visit https://www.coloradomesa.edu/energy/ for more information

About the Grand Junction Economic Partnership
The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) is a private non-profit incorporated organization and the official economic development agency for Mesa County and its municipalities. GJEP works to recruit and retain businesses in the cities of Grand Junction and Fruita, the town of Palisade and surrounding regions. Visit www.gjep.org for more information.

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