| Governor Matt Mead and Senator Mike Enzi recently addressed the Energy Strategy and BLM hearings. Please see below for both of those press releases. Governor Matt Mead, July 27, 2015 Governor Mead Announces Public Meetings to Discuss Updated Energy Strategy CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Governor Matt Mead has announced a series of public meetings to identify additional energy initiatives for Wyoming - two years after the state became the first in the nation to develop a comprehensive energy strategy with the release of Leading the Charge, Wyoming's Action Plan for Energy, Environment and Economy. Since its release in 2013, more than three-fourths of the initiatives in that strategy have been completed. "I said when I announced the energy strategy that it is designed to be regularly revised, updated and integrated into budgeting and planning," Governor Mead said. "The past two years have seen many successes and we want to build on them. The purpose of these meetings is to review existing initiatives, to identify additional initiatives in order to support energy development, balanced with sound environmental stewardship." The meetings are open to the public. Anyone interested is encouraged to come and discuss ideas that should be incorporated into the updated strategy. A list of meeting dates and locations is set out below. Public comments will be accepted at the meetings and can also be sent to the Governor's office via email at: [email protected] To review the current Leading the Charge, please go to: http://governor.wyo.gov Public Meeting Locations and Times: August 4, 2015 - 6:00PM-8:00PM Co-hosted by Governor's office and the Wyoming Mining Association Presentation Hall, Gillette College, 300 West Sinclair, Gillette, WY 82718 August 5, 2015 - 6:00PM-8:00PM Co-hosted by the Governor's office and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming Petroleum Club, 1301 Wilkins Circle, Casper, WY 82601 August 12, 2015 - 5:30PM-7:30PM Co-hosted by the Governor's office and the Park County Commissioners Grizzly Room, Park County Library, 1500 Heart Mountain Street, Cody, WY 82414 August 13, 2015 - 5:30PM-7:00PM Co-hosted by the Governor's office and the Snake River Conservation Alliance Ordway Auditorium, Teton County Library, 125 Virginian Lane, Jackson, WY 83001 August 18, 2015 - 6:00PM-8:00PM Co-hosted by the Governor's office and the Wyoming Farm Bureau, Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts Wellness Building room 3650a/b, Western Wyoming Community College, 2500 College Drive, Rock Springs, WY 82901 August 19, 2015 - 6:00PM-8:00PM Hosted by the Governor's office Cottonwood Room, Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001 Senator Mike Enzi, July 29, 2015 The latest federal assault on coal Wyoming delegation says let BLM hear from you Today, U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., released the following statements in response to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) kicking off a series of listening sessions starting today in Washington, D.C. to discuss raising the royalty rates on the Federal Coal Leasing Program. The BLM plans to host similar listening sessions across the country in the coming weeks, including one in Gillette, WY on August 13.
"This Administration is fixated on killing coal without consideration of the consequences or lack of non-political benefits," Enzi said. "Raising the costs of mining coal will not only hike electricity prices and destroy high-wage mining jobs, but may actually decrease government revenue that pay for education and more. I urge anyone who is worried about this attempt to raise energy taxes to reach out to the BLM and share their concerns."
"If Interior officials are going to use this so-called 'listening tour' to try to justify even more actions that hurt people in coal country, they should cancel their trip," Barrasso said. "If the Obama Administration is truly concerned about receiving a greater return on federal coal, it should immediately withdraw EPA regulations which undermine demand for coal. The Administration should also make it easier for America to export our coal to overseas markets, especially those in Asia."
"The BLM's decision to start its listening tour here in Washington D.C. is to be expected," Lummis said. "The Obama White House prefers to roll out its proposals to friendly audiences in Washington far away from American communities like Gillette who would bear the brunt of a tax hike on coal. I welcome an honest and open conversation about federal coal policies, including every Administration policy designed to keep coal in the ground, stifle momentum towards cleaner technologies, and deny Americans their most abundant, affordable, and reliable form of energy."
Additional information on the listening sessions follows:
- July 29, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm EST. Washington, D.C.: South Interior Building Auditorium, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20245
- August 11, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm MST. Billings, MT: Hampton Inn, Lewis and Clark Conference Center, 5110 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101
- August 13, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm MST. Gillette, WY: Campbell County Library, 2101 4-J Road, Gillette, WY 82718
- August 18, 2015, 1:00 -4:00 pm MST. Denver, Colorado: Marriott Denver West, 1717 Denver West Blvd, Golden, CO 80401
- August 20, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm MST. Farmington, NM: Courtyard Marriott, 560 Scott Avenue, Farmington, NM 87401
The meetings in Washington, D.C. and Denver will have a livestream option for people to participate remotely. The meetings can be accessed at www.blm.gov/live.
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