BLM Oil Shale

From: Denver Post

WASHINGTON — Congress adopted a Rep. Jared Polis amendment Wednesday that pares $25 million in federal research funding into oil shale development and puts that money toward deficit reduction.

The amendment was a rare victory for Polis, since he is a Democrat and the House is controlled by the GOP. None of Colorado’s four Republicans voted for it. The other two Dems, Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter, voted for the measure.

“We shouldn’t be throwing good money after bad on oil shale research that won’t produce energy for the foreseeable future,” Polis said, in a statement. “Dumping another $25 million of taxpayer money into oil shale research makes no sense when there isn’t commercially viable technology that will turn it into oil.”

Earlier in the day, Republican Reps. Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner and Doug Lamborn held a press conference on Capitol Hill unveiling their individual domestic energy initiatives that were tucked in an overall GOP package to lower gas prices and boost energy production the United States.

“We can never ever forget that a price that senior citizens on a fixed income are paying, young families that are struggling to get by, are paying higher energy costs and that is impacting the American lifestyle,” Tipton said. “We want a true all of the above energy plan for this nation … Let’s develop wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, oil shale, oil, gas.”

– Tipton has proposed a measure that would require the Secretary of Interior to “establish an all-of-the-above energy program for federal lands by reviewing the nation’s energy needs.”

– Gardner proposed requiring the President to develop a plan to lease more federal lands for energy production if he taps the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

– Coffman’s idea would require the BLM to approve 25 percent of lease applications on land already designated for oil and gas development.

– Lamborn is proposing a measure to streamline and reform the application and permitting process for domestic energy production on federal lands.