2008
Press Release Archive

November 21, 2008: Three federal agencies issued the "West-Wide Energy Corridors Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement" on proposals for new energy transmission corridors criss-crossing the West. WRA weighs in on these proposals, finding some to be potentially beneficial and others in need of reconsideration or revision.

November 17, 2008: In response to rules governing commercial oil shale leasing being prematurely finalized, WRA Executive Director Karin Sheldon issued a statement critical of the rules which are counter to the public's interest and its demonstrated desire for a change in national policy direction.

November 12, 2008: WRA publicly releases "Smart Lines" are report providing guidance on how to solve the problem of providing more transmission capacity for renewable energy while minimizing negative impacts on public lands throughout the West.

September 22, 2008: The Bureau of Land Management is prematurely moving forward with commercial oil shale leasing regulations, far ahead of the oil industry’s ability to develop the resource. WRA submitted comments detailing the substantial weaknesses in BLM’s proposed regulations.

September 19, 2008: The Colorado PUC made a precedent-setting decision today to approve Xcel Energy’s plans to cut CO2 emissions by retiring two coal-fired power plants. Xcel’s plans are“arguably the most innovative utility resource plan anywhere in the country,” said WRA’s energy program director John Nielsen.

September 16, 2008: In response to H.R. 6899 regarding oil shale leasing regulations, WRA’s executive director Karin Sheldon states that “efforts to take a wise course of action on the proper development of oil shale took a giant step backwards" with the opening of up 2 million acres of federal lands for commercial oil shale leasing.

July 22, 2008: The Department of Interior has given consumers false hope that oil shale is a near-term solution to the pain that Americans are feeling at the pump. The technology does not exist to produce oil shale without enormous impacts to lands, wildlife, water, and air quality. Until oil shale can be extracted in ways that protect communities and natural resources, we must focus on fuel efficiency and promoting clean technologies.

June 26, 2008 : WRA and five other conservation organizations expose the false claims of proponents of oil shale who promise cheaper prices at the pump in an attempt to acquire public land for development. With oil shale technology in its nascent stage, resources would not be available for decades and would not come cheaply due to oil shale’s high demand for large amounts of energy and water.

June 5, 2008: WRA and other conservation groups involved in water rights negotiations concerning the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park brokered an agreement between the United States, water users, the State of Colorado, and others that will protect water rights for the Black Canyon. After more than 30 years, it resolves one of Colorado’s most contentious water rights battles.

May 29, 2008 Today Governor Bill Ritter signed into law House Bill 1141 requiring that developers of projects prove the development will have an adequate supply of water. Senator Bob Bacon, who co-sponsored the bill, pushed for passage to "give local governments a necessary tool for approving sustainable development and protecting homebuyers from purchasing homes that have an uncertain water future.”

May 19, 2008: It was the only ticket he purchased, but for Timothy Tobin, a carpenter from Boulder, it was all he needed to win a new Toyota Prius. His name was selected at a drawing held at Ten Salon and Spa in Loveland, one of many Earth Month fundraisers held by local Aveda salons and spas to raise funds for organizations that work to benefit the environment. Western Resource Advocates (WRA) was the beneficiary of the fundraising efforts of 133 salons and spas throughout the West.

May 6, 2008: Western Resource Advocates (WRA) and Global Greengrants Fund are proud to announce that they have been selected by the Aveda Corporation to receive a portion of the funds raised during the company’s 2008 Earth Month campaign. Proceeds will be put toward ensuring that all people have safe, reliable, and sustainable sources of water in Colorado and around the world.

February 7, 2008: Arizona, one of the fastest growing states in the country, can meet the majority of its rising demand for electricity by investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The analysis, “A Clean Electric Energy Strategy for Arizona,” maps out how the state can move from its current dependence on fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy that have more stable costs and much smaller environmental impacts.

November 12, 2007: An analysis commissioned by Western Resource Advocates and conducted by Summit Blue Consulting says that Tri-State Generation and Transmission has an opportunity to address imbalances in its resource mix for generating electricity as a result of the rejection of its proposed coal-fired power plant in Holcomb, Kansas.