A $1.5 billion natural gas pipeline project in Oregon drew support this week from a delegation of 16 representatives of government agencies in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon as well as several Indian tribes.
They went before the Federal energy Regulatory Commission to encourage approval of the Jordan Cove Natural Gas Project which involves 229 miles of pipeline from near Malin, Oregon to a planned natural gas liquefaction plant in Coos Bay, Oregon.
The hearing was part of FERC’s process to take comments from the public on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The goal is to export the cleaner-burning natural gas produced in basins spanning Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and the Ute Tribal Nation, including the Piceance, Uintah and Green River basins, to Asian markets that now use dirtier fuel sources to meet their energy needs.
Members of the delegation from government bodies in all three states gave comments demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of Jordan Cove to not only their communities, but the United States and the world.
Rose Pugliese, County Commissioner for Mesa County, Colorado, said:
“The Jordan Cove project is a great economic driver for our northwest Colorado communities and will help stabilize our economies from fluctuations in the oil and gas market for over 20 years. It also helps us to then continue to diversify our economies and make our counties fiscally stronger.”
Bryan Hassler, Executive Director of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority, said:
“Minerals are a tremendous resource in the State of Wyoming and continue to help create jobs. This project helps Wyoming move its resources to the markets that can generate the greatest benefit for the most people, through tax revenues and the export of cleaner-burning natural gas to countries that need it to lower their carbon emissions.”
Eric Carlson, Executive Director of the Western Slope West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said:
“This is a critical opportunity of the future of natural gas in the Piceance Basin, because it capitalizes on existing infrastructure that is underutilized.”
The full list of attendees who gave comments:
- Doug Hammond, Mayor, Vernal City, Utah
- Cheryl Meier, Executive Director, Uintah Transportation Special Service District (UT)
- Bryan Hassler, Executive Director, Wyoming Pipeline Authority
- Tom Jankovsky, County Commissioner, Garfield County (CO)
- John Justman, County Commissioner, Mesa County, (CO)
- Rose Pugliese, County Commissioner, Mesa County, (CO)
- Bart Haslem, County Commissioner, Uintah County (UT)
- Jeff Rector, County Commissioner, Rio Blanco County (CO)
- Greg Todd, Commissioner, Duchesne County (UT)
- Makala Barton, Economic Development Coordinator, Rio Blanco County (CO)
- Jordan Clark, Utah Governor’s Office of Energy Development
- Jim Gleason, Carpenters Union (CO)
- Sylvia Wilkins, Economic Development Director, Uintah County (UT)
- Eric Carlson, Executive Director, West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association (CO)
- Andrew Browning, Western States and Tribal Nations
- Bryson Hull, VP of Communications and Media, Consumer Energy Alliance