Fight The Overreach
Western Energy Alliance
•
•
•
•
•
•
Founded in 1974
More than 480 member companies 13 state region
Independent producers averaging 15 employees
Focused on federal regulatory and policy issues
8-member team
12 issue committees
All About Legacy
• Obama Administration is focused on legacy
• Environmental policy and climate are major elements
Red Tape Nation
High-profile federal agency action this year:
• Methane Rules – Winter 2015
• BLM Fracking Rule – Spring 2015
• Greater Sage Grouse Listing – Fall 2015
Methane Rules
• In January, White House announced plans to reduce
methane emissions 40% by 2025
• Industry already did this, even as production
climbed 26% since 2006
• Duplicates EPA’s implementation of 2012 plans
BLM Fracking Rule
• Duplicative regulations proposed on federal lands
• Well standards to isolate groundwater
• Plans for handling flowback fluids
• Disclosure of chemicals on FracFocus
• Joint lawsuit filed with IPAA
Greater Sage-Grouse Listing
• Court-imposed deadline of September 30th
• To List or Not to List?
• Data Quality Act Challenge filed on science used to
make ESA listing decision
So began the Alliance’s focus:
Fight The Overreach
Fight The Overreach
• Political reality is we’re playing mostly defense
• Focused on fighting regulatory overreach:
• Federal agency rules
• Presidential executive orders
Fight The Overreach
• We have a track record of standing up to
aggressive regulations
• Applying lessons from recent campaigns to:
• Legal challenges
• Public relations
• Coalition building
Fight The Overreach
Legal Challenges
• Gunnison and Greater Sage-Grouse
• BLM Fracking Rule
• EPA’s Quad ‘O’ Rule
• Public Lands Access
Fight The Overreach
Public Relations
• Public education and outreach online
• Annual Polling
• Policymaker outreach
• Media outreach
Fight The Overreach
Coalition Building
• Formalize relationships with sportsmen’s groups
and trade associations
• Not all interests are shared, but survival of all
is at stake
• Combine strategic assets to build momentum
Action Items
Connect with Western Energy Alliance
• Social Media
/WesternEnergyAlliance
@WesternEnergy1
• Website
westernenergyalliance.org
• Member E-mail Alerts
• Events
Thank you!
Tim Wigley, President
Western Energy Alliance
[email protected]
303-623-0987