Consumer Energy Alliance Continues "Know the Value" Campaign in Colorado

CEA continues its educational campaign called "Know the Value" focused on educating Coloradans on the central role that energy plays in their everyday lives and the industries and activities that rely on energy costs. As part of the campaign, CEA is releasing a series of ads and videos highlighting industries directly benefit for Colorado energy every day, including agriculture, education, breweries, and medical devices.

Negative Economic Impacts of Energy Setback Initiative 40 Times Worse

DENVER (June 15, 2016) – The news continues to worsen for the proponents of Initiative #78, which aims to add mandatory 2,500-foot setbacks from new and existing oil and natural gas operations. Earlier this month, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) released a report detailing that the proposed setbacks would ban 90% of Colorado from future energy development. The report drew the ire of business leaders around the state.

“As we’ve said all along, the extremists behind this ballot issue want to chase our energy sector and the 100,000 jobs it provides out of Colorado,” said Vital for Colorado Board Chair and local attorney Peter Moore. “The setback initiative would have a devastating impact on our energy sector and the thousands of other local businesses whose livelihoods rely on partnering with the industry.”

The setback initiative received another blow this week following a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The report finds that Colorado’s Piceance Basin, thanks to a new assessment of the Mancos Shale formation within the Piceance, may have 40 times more natural gas reserves than previously thought making it the second largest field of recoverable natural gas in the United States. While many, particularly on the jobs-starved West Slope, celebrated the news, it was quickly overshadowed by the looming setback ballot initiative that would ban access to these vast natural gas reserves.

Colorado’s Piceance Basin primarily overlays Garfield and Rio Blanco counties. According to the COGCC setback study, these counties will be the most affected by Initiative #78 banning future energy development in 98.9% of Garfield County and 99.2% of Rio Blanco County.

“The USGS study was certainly welcome news for our West Slope communities because it offers an optimistic future to many families and individuals,” said Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrea Maddalone. “Sadly, the initiative proponents aim to stifle that hope.”

While the proposed initiative hasn’t yet qualified for the ballot, paid petition gatherers are collecting signatures in the Denver Metro area to put the constitutional question on the November ballot.

“I know when Coloradans across the state learn more about the damaging effects to our urban and rural economies, they’ll loudly voice their opposition and decline to sign these petitions,” Maddalone concluded.

Contact:
Rich Coolidge
[email protected]
(720) 420-4255

Announcing 2016 Downtown Denver Prototyping Festival, Open Call for Projects to Support Strengthening Vitality of the 16th Street Mall

DENVER (April 1, 2016) – The Downtown Denver Partnership and Downtown Denver Business Improvement District announced today the 2016 Prototyping Festival, an opportunity for the community to submit prototype ideas to make the 16th Street Mall a more vibrant public space. The Prototyping Festival is a component of The Mall Experiencean ongoing collaboration with the City and County of Denver and involving the Regional Transportation District, that aims to bring more people to the Mall and encourage them to stay longer. Community members spanning all walks of culture, practice and discipline are encouraged to submit creative proposals for the Prototyping Festival that are sustainable, engaging and create a unique sense of place along the Mall.

The Prototyping Festival, to be held July 23-24, is an opportunity to experiment with ideas for public spaces, and showcase ideas for how participatory design, art and technology can create connections and greater ownership of public spaces and how they are used. Accepted submissions will receive a $2,500 stipend to support project creation and installation.

“The 16th Street Mall is one of our most vital public spaces, and we are focused on ensuring its future as an authentic, self-sustaining place that is supported by the entire community,” says John Desmond, executive vice president of downtown environment for the Downtown Denver Partnership. “We encourage the entire community, including artists, designers, entrepreneurs and all those interested in ensuring the vibrancy of the Mall to submit their ideas for installations that can transform the visitor experience Downtown.”

Accepted submissions will be showcased during the final weekend of Meet in the Street, which returns for five consecutive weekends this summer, beginning June 25. Analysis of Meet in the Street, including the Prototyping Festival, will help hone in on long-term changes to the Mall and adjacent sites following an initial report and recommendations from Gehl Studio released earlier this year. This is the third year of Meet in the Street, which is funded by the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District.

The application process will be open from April 1 through May 15, 2016. Accepted submissions will be notified by June 1. The application and additional details are available at downtowndenver.com.

The Partnership will co-host an information session on April 5 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Commons on Champa (1245 Champa St., Denver) on the Prototyping Festival, Meet in the Street, and other opportunities to support strategic planning efforts for Downtown including The Next Stage and The Outdoor Downtown.

Additional details about activation programs to make Downtown Denver a premier summer destination, will be announced later this spring.

For more information visit www.downtowndenver.com.

About the Downtown Denver Partnership
The Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc. partners with public, private and non-profit entities to implement high-impact strategies, outlined in the organization’s long-term strategy the 2007 Downtown Area Plan, to support its vision for an economically healthy, growing and vital Downtown Denver. For more information, visit www.downtowndenver.com.

About The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District
The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) is a public organization funded by private commercial property owners. It strives to provide a clean, safe and vibrant Downtown environment for workers, residents and visitors. Through their annual assessments to this quasi-governmental entity, BID property owners fund a series of district-wide programs that enhance Downtown Denver, including cleaning and maintenance efforts, safety initiatives and targeted visitor marketing. The BID is an independent organization that contracts with the Downtown Denver Partnership to manage its work program. For more information, visit www.downtowndenver.com/about-the-bid.
 

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Contact: Brea Olson
[email protected]
03.775.4712

Colorado Mining Association's Sanderson to Retire After 22 Years as President

Geopros to Conduct Nationwide Candidate Search for Successor

Denver, CO – The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) announced today that Stuart Sanderson will retire from the position of President & Chief Operating Officer effective September 30, 2016, a position he has held since October, 1994. Following his retirement, Sanderson will continue to serve as a consultant to the 140 year old trade association and to other clients.
 
The Board of Directors is also pleased to announce that the search for his successor will begin following the 118th National Western Mining Conference & Exhibition March 21-24, 2016 at the Colorado Convention Center.   
 
CMA has retained Geopros, Inc., a nationally recognized direct-placement recruiting firm, to conduct a nationwide search for a new President & COO. Interested candidates are asked to communicate directly with Jill Nelson at [email protected] or Lois Brooks at [email protected]Please do not contact or submit resumes directly to CMA.  
 
Following his retirement, Sanderson will continue to serve as a consultant to the CMA under a non-exclusive consulting services agreement for a six month period ending March 31, 2017. He will report to the new CMA President.  
 
“It has been my honor to serve the hard working men and women of Colorado’s mining industry for more than two decades,” Sanderson said. “Today’s announcement is the result of an orderly transition that has been underway for more than one year,” he added. “I look forward to participating in the recruitment of a successor,” he added “and continuing to serve the mining industry and other clients in the future.” 
 
Sanderson, an attorney, is credited for leading the CMA through a challenging transition following his retention in 1994, boosting membership and improving the Association’s financial condition. He also led the effort to keep Colorado open for the business of mining, spearheading the defense of state laws that promote the responsible development of the state’s mineral resources when those laws were subject to legislation and other initiatives to ban modern mining technologies. Under his leadership, CMA has engaged regulatory processes constructively to facilitate the continuation of mining operations. He has authored numerous articles on mining related issues and has appeared as the industry’s spokesman before local and national news organizations and broadcast networks.  
 
Colorado currently ranks 10th among the states in the production of clean coal, 4th in gold, and 1st in molybdenum. The state is also a significant source of pure sodium bicarbonate, gypsum, limestone and other specialty mineral production. Overall, mining generates about $3 billion in revenues, and nearly $9 billion in overall economic benefits for the state. Mine workers are among the highest paid industrial workers in Colorado.  
 
CMA Chairman Fred Menzer, Consultant to Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, and incoming Chairman Jim Mattern, President, Trapper Mining Inc., thanked Sanderson for his leadership.  “He has served for a period of time thought to be longer than most other trade association executives currently employed in Colorado. Thus, we both worked to ensure that the Association could rely upon Stuart’s expertise and experience as we move forward under new management,” Menzer said. “We are pleased that he will remain a consultant to the CMA.”
 
CMA is an industry association, founded in 1876, whose more than 900 members include the producers of minerals throughout Colorado and the west, including vendors and service providers to the industry. The organization is also headquartered in Denver, an international mining center.


Contact: Stuart Sanderson
303-575-9199
[email protected]
Colorado Mining Association
216 16th Street, Suite 1250
Denver, CO 80202

Consumer Energy Alliance Launches Offshore Call to Action

In advance of the pending release of the Proposed 2017-2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, CEA on February 26 launched a Call to Action urging supporters to sign a letter to Interior Sec. Jewell urging her to maintain the Mid- and South Atlantic as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska in the Proposed Program. 

The Call to Action notes the benefits to consumers from access to domestic energy sources, including impacts on household budgets and jobs, economic activity, and public revenue.  The Call to Action also urges the Interior Department to promptly issue the approvals necessary for Atlantic seismic surveys to begin, and underscores support for expanding federal revenue-sharing to any state with oil and gas leasing in adjacent federal waters.  

Please take a moment to sign your name to the letter, and forward this link on to any friends and colleagues who might be interested in registering their support.

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