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Energy and the West: A Series Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 The Energy and the West series is designed to assist the public and public officials in making informed choices about energy development that will benefit the region over the long term. Publication of the series is now complete. Contact Ben Alexander (406.599.7423) for more information about our research on energy development, and to join our mailing list. Titles in the Energy and the West series: Click on a title to download the report, or see "Report Summaries" below for abstracts.
Report Summaries:
Energy Development and the Changing Economy of the West
In this report (1.5 Mb pdf), we place the current surge in energy development in perspective. We examine how
the West has changed, the rising importance of environmental amenities, and the relative role of
energy development in the economy of western states.
U.S Energy Needs and the Role of Western Public Lands
This report (1 Mb pdf) discusses the supply-side orientation of U.S. energy policy, and reviews existing data that describe available reserves, pricing structures, and patterns of consumption and demand. We present information about the extent of energy reserves in the U.S. and on western public lands, and their scale in light of domestic production and consumption trends.
Fossil Fuel Extraction as a County Economic Development Strategy: Are Energy-Focusing Counties Benefiting?
In this report (1 Mb pdf), we examine the consequences of focusing on fossil fuel extraction as an economic development strategy. Has it benefited counties in the long run? Our analysis compares the performance of the 26 rural counties in the West that concentrate on fossil fuel extraction to a peer group of rural counties across a variety of social and economic indicators.
Energy Revenue in the Intermountain West
Tax policies affect the ways that states negotiate the impacts of energy development and their ability to leverage energy production for long-term competitive economic positioning.This report (1 Mb pdf) provides a detailed comparison of how five energy-producing states in the Intermountain West tax energy production and make use of resulting revenue.
Impacts of Energy Development in Colorado, with a Case Study of Mesa and Garfield Counties
This report (1 Mb pdf) explores the significance of fossil fuel energy development for Colorado with a case study of the implications of superimposing rapid energy development on top of a more diverse and growing West Slope economy. The report then reviews the effectiveness of Colorado's fiscal policy toward fossil fuels and concludes with several options for state and local governments to consider.
Impacts of Energy Development in Wyoming, with a Case Study of Sweetwater County
This report (1 Mb pdf) studies the significance of fossil fuel development in Wyoming, with a case study of the energy-focused county of Sweetwater County, to ask what happens when an economy is focused on energy extraction, especially during a time of renewed volatility in energy prices.
Potential Impacts of Energy Development in Montana, with a Case Study of the Powder River Basin
This report (1 Mb pdf) focuses on the economic and fiscal contributions of the oil and natural gas industries in Montana, including a case study of potential coal bed methane natural gas (CBM) extraction in the Powder River Basin. The report also compares Montana's performance to neighboring states to discover what Montana does well, and where the state can improve in fitting oil and natural gas into a broader discussion of economic development and fiscal health for the state.
Potential Impacts of Energy Development in New Mexico, with a Case Study of Otero County
This report (1 Mb pdf) analyzes the economic and fiscal contribution of the oil and natural gas industries in New Mexico along with a case study of proposed energy development on Otero Mesa in Otero County that asks whether potential drilling there would create more benefits than it would foreclose.
Headwaters Economics Banner photo, Natural Gas Field in Green River Basin, Wyoming by Ben Alexander, 2007. |
