Across the country, there are a variety of approaches to incentivizing and managing energy development. Ongoing research points to ways that government at various levels can maximize benefits while minimizing the costs of energy development
— A recent review published in the Resources Policy journal with researchers at Montana State University shows that coal communities lack strong transition plans and largely are unprepared for coming changes.
read moreof Coal Communities Lack Strong Transition Plans
— Coal fiscal policies vary widely across the West in terms of how revenue is generated, set aside in permanent savings, or spent by state and local governments.
read moreof Comparing Coal Fiscal Policies for Western States
— A guide to planning for the long-term social, economic and environmental well-being of the community of Colstrip, Montana.
read moreof The Context and Status of Colstrip’s Coal-Fired Power Plant
— This post compares economic and demographic characteristics of communities where coal-fired power plants have recently retired or are scheduled to retire.
read moreof Communities at Risk from Closing Coal Plants
— Unlike most countries and state governments, the U.S. has not created a natural resources trust which could help meet volatility and spending challenges facing local and county governments.
read moreof Time to Create a Natural Resources Trust — The new Administration’s plans to remove coal regulations should not dampen efforts to shift coal transition planning West to assist displaced workers and diversify coal-dependent communities.
read moreof As Energy Market Forces Shift Coal Woes West, Transition Planning Should Follow
— Compare the effectiveness of states’ oil and natural gas tax policies to see which states ensure that tax revenue is available in the right amount, time, and location to manage drilling-related increases in the local demand for services. See which states invest in long-term infrastructure and economic diversification.
read moreof What Do Local Governments Receive from Oil and Gas Production Taxes?
— Explore the Socioeconomic Context of the Federal Coal Leasing Program
read moreof Federal Coal Program in Context — This blog draws on federal data and research to describe more about the local economies of the communities dependent on federal coal.
read moreof Economic Conditions in Communities Dependent on Federal Coal — Lower overall coal generating capacity—the outcome of coal fired power plant retirements and a demand for coal that rises and falls depending on natural gas prices—will create new volatility for coal jobs and for counties, schools, and states that depend on tax revenues from coal.
read moreof Changed Electric Power Markets Create New Volatility for Coal
— While Montana is likely to experience relatively small impacts, coal-dependent communities in Eastern Montana are likely to feel the acute effects of job losses and declining tax revenue in the coming decades.
read moreof Planning for Montana’s Energy Transition
— Analysis shows that proposed federal royalty reforms will increase the cost of delivering natural gas to domestic power plants by a greater amount than coal.
read moreof Outcomes of Higher Federal Coal and Natural Gas Royalty Rates
— The proposed federal coal royalty reform rule could have substantial revenue benefits for federal and state governments, limited impact on coal production or prices on federal lands, and increased transparency.
read moreof Coal Royalty Reform: Impact on Prices, Production, and State Revenue — The Office of Natural Resources Revenue recently proposed a new rule that would change the way federal coal is valued for royalty purposes. Will it hurt the industry? Yes and No.
read moreof Will Federal Coal Valuation Reforms Hurt the Coal Industry? Yes And No
— This report includes seven major energy-producing states and a new interactive adds four more (AR, LA, and PA). The study and interactive compare how local governments receive production tax revenue from unconventional oil and natural gas.
read moreof Unconventional Oil and Gas Revenues to Local Governments
— This report reviews problems with the current federal royalty system, estimates current effective royalty rates, and offers several reform options.
read moreof Federal Coal Royalty Valuation: Current Structure, Effective Rates, and Reform Options — Compared to other nations and even U.S. states, the federal government is a conspicuous laggard in creating a natural resources trust which would allow for stable, permanent, and ever rising payments to states and local governments without risks to taxpayers.
read moreof Time for a U.S. Natural Resources Trust? — Lower oil prices could be great for the economy, but for the communities dependent on drilling, the price drop may prove challenging for several reasons.
read moreof Falling Oil Prices: Good for the U.S. Economy, Bad for Shale Communities?
— The West is rich in renewable energy opportunities, but research demonstrates that property tax revenues from this development vary widely across 17 rural study counties due to state tax policies.
read moreof Benefits of Renewable Energy in the West Vary Widely
— Monitoring can help local governments better understand the socioeconomic impacts caused by energy development, and support requests to industry and state government for assistance to implement appropriate mitigation.
read moreof How Is Fracking Shaping Your Community and Economy?
— This report compares how North Dakota provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional oil extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof North Dakota Not Returning Adequate Oil Revenue to Local Governments
— This report compares how Wyoming provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Wyoming Oil Taxes: Highest Rate, Large Savings Compared to Other States
— This report compares how New Mexico provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Local Governmments in New Mexico Receive Lowest Share of Oil Revenue
— This report compares how Colorado provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Colorado Lags Other States in Taxing Oil, Incentives Increase Volatility
— This report compares how Montana provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Montana Oil Tax Policy: No Long-Term Savings, Exposure to Volatility
— This report compares how Oklahoma provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Oklahoma on Oil: Big Tax Breaks and Low Returns to Local Governments
— This report compares how Texas provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.
read moreof Texas Oil Policy: Low Taxes, No Permanent Savings to Offset Volatility
— This paper demonstrates that when fossil fuel development plays a prominent, long-term role in local western economies there are negative effects on per capita income, crime rates, and educational attainment.
read moreof Long-Term Energy Development Has Negative Impacts on Western Counties
— This report explores the challenges for states and local communities caused by unconventional oil and natural gas development, and fiscal best practices that address them.
read moreof Fiscal Lessons for State and Local Governments
— This report analyzes the proposed SunZia transmission line, finding that the project, as currently configured, depends on its ability to export renewable energy from New Mexico to markets in Arizona and California.
read moreof The Proposed SunZia Transmission Line: A Guide for Decision Makers
— This graphical analysis reviews the status of New Mexico's oil and gas industry including production, drilling activity, and its role in the state's economy.
read moreof Report: New Mexico’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry
— This research summary offers an overview of efforts to quantify the national green economy in terms of job creation from several perspectives.
read moreof Green Jobs Metrics
— This graphical analysis reviews the status of Colorado's oil and gas industry including production, drilling activity, tax policy, its role in Colorado’s economy.
read moreof Report: Colorado’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry
— This report analyzes the growing infrastructure and services needs of the Bakken boom and meeting the demands of unconventional energy development.
read moreof Unconventional Oil and North Dakota Communities: State Fiscal Policy Unprepared for Impacts of Energy Development
— Measuring Total Rig Weeks and Changes in Rig Weeks by County
read moreof Oil and Gas Drilling: Rig Weeks Activity 2001 – 2011
— This graphical analysis shows that Utah's oil and gas industry was recovering at the time of the report.
read moreof Report: The Status of Utah’s Oil and Gas Industry
— Headwaters Economics analyzed transmission infrastructure issues from the perspective of regional economic development, and other topics most relevant to local and state decision makers.
read moreof Clean Energy Transmission
— This report focuses on county-level details of drilling rig activity for the period 2001 to 2011 in the six Rocky Mountain oil and gas states of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
read moreof County Level Drilling Activity, 2001-2011
— A graphical analysis of oil and natural gas drilling in the United States which now has returned to pre-recession levels.
read moreof Drilling Rig Activity Nears 20-Year High
— This study analyzes the fossil fuel economy in five Rocky Mountain states—CO, MT, NM, UT, and WY—and how states and communities can maximize benefits and minimize the costs of energy development.
read moreof Fossil Fuel Extraction and Western Economies
— The Clean Energy report compares how Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are taking advantage of clean energy and energy efficiency opportunities to create green jobs.
read moreof Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies: Competitive Positioning in the Emerging Green Economy
— This report summarizes research and policy documents, and provides a brief overview of the status of oil shale development in the U.S. West.
read moreof Oil Shale: 14 Unanswered Questions
— While a handful of companies reported being active in the field-testing of new technologies in 2009, only one company had announced plans to upscale to a prototype (semi-works scale) facility.
read moreof Development Timeline: Oil Shale Activities in Colorado and Utah
— This study examines how the West has changed, the rising importance of environmental amenities, and the relative role of energy development in the economy of western states.
read moreof Energy Development and the Changing Economy of the West-report summary
— This report examines 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.
read moreof Energy Revenue in the Intermountain West
— This report 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.
read moreof U.S. Energy Needs and the Role of Western Public Lands
— This report examines fossil fuel extraction as an economic development strategy for rural Western counties and whether it has benefited counties in the long run.
read moreof Fossil Fuel Extraction as a County Economic Development Strategy: Are Energy-Focusing Counties Benefiting?
— This report 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.
read moreof Potential Impacts of Energy Development in New Mexico, with a Case Study of Otero County— Study Shows Which States Are Attracting Jobs, Businesses, and Investment; Five Key Steps to Future Growth
read moreof Press Release: Clean Energy in the Rockies Report Released— For those wishing to dig deeper into the current politics and economics of oil shale, Headwaters Economics recommends the following sources.
read moreof Oil Shale Library: Getting Started in Publicly Available Sources
— This report focuses on the economic and fiscal contributions of the oil and natural gas industries in Montana, including a case study of the Powder River Basin.
read moreof Potential Impacts of Energy Development in Montana, with a Case Study of the Powder River Basin— This report studies the significance of fossil fuel development in Wyoming, with a case study of the energy-focused county of Sweetwater County.
read moreof Impacts of Energy Development in Wyoming, with a Case Study of Sweetwater County— This report explores the significance of fossil fuel energy development for Colorado with a case study of the implications for the West Slope economy.
read moreof Impacts of Energy Development in Colorado, with a Case Study of Mesa and Garfield Counties