WEEK OF DECEMBER 12, 2024
VOLUME 80 | ISSUE 8
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Oil & gas companies submitted false data
Regulators first became aware of potential data manipulation in July
Xcel Energy wants to charge more for electricity later in the evening BY SAM BRASCH CPR NEWS
Regulators first became aware of potential falsification in July, and the ECMC is investigating the data submitted for approximately 350 sites, all FILE PHOTO BY BELEN WARD of which are located in Weld County. BY CHASE WOODRUFF COLORADO NEWSLINE
Two consulting firms working for a trio of Colorado oil and gas giants submitted falsified data about the environmental conditions at hundreds of locations in Weld County, regulators alleged in a public hearing Nov. 26. Julie Murphy, director of the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, told the agency’s five-member board of commissioners that employees of two firms, Eagle Environmental and Tasman
Geosciences, “created false laboratory data and reports” relating to soil and groundwater contamination, which were submitted to the ECMC as part of spill cleanup and site remediation procedures between 2021 and summer 2024. Murphy said regulators first became aware of potential falsification in July, and the ECMC is investigating the data submitted for approximately 350 sites, all of which are located in Weld County. In an emailed statement, the ECMC said that its “awareness
VOICES: PAGE 8 | CULTURE: PAGE 10 | BRIEFS: PAGE 16
of the scale of the issue grew over time.” The agency “determined that urgent notification was not warranted,” Murphy told commissioners. “The falsified data does not present a new or increased risk to public welfare, safety or the environment,” she said. “It does mean, in some instances, that the duration a spill will impact the environment may be extended.” The ECMC, formerly known as the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, regulates all oil and gas operations within the state. Its
health, safety and environmental rules have undergone a comprehensive update in the wake of a 2019 reform lawpassed by Colorado lawmakers. “I am disappointed in the actions of a few consultants to oil and gas operators who have undermined the industry’s ability to meet their regulatory obligations,” Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the ECMC, said in a statement.
Millions of Colorado residents could soon pay more to use electricity later in the evening under a proposal from provider Xcel Energy. The state’s largest utility filed to change time-of-use rates in early September. If state regulators approve the proposal, customers will pay the most for power from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays during the summer and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the winter. The current “on-peak” hours currently stretch from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. year-round. The company also charges slightly higher rates during “midpeak” hours from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., which would be eliminated under the new proposal. State utility regulators expect to reach a final decision in February 2025, and the company could begin implementing the updated rate schedule as soon as May 2025. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission recently encouraged residents to participate in a public hearing on the proposal on December 17. Xcel Energy customers can also provide written feedback to the commission through an online form. Xcel Energy started moving its Colorado customers to time-of-use rates in 2022. The pricing plans are meant to nudge customers to use energy during periods of lower demand and higher renewable energy production. Wind energy, for example, often goes to waste at night, so a utility can operate more efficiently by encouraging customers to run dishwashers or charge electric cars later in the evening. SEE XCEL, P31
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SEE O&G DATA, P31
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