In the Rockies today, power-line projects in Montana, Nevada's Yucca Mountain, and water rights in Colorado are in the news.
In Montana, where four transmission projects are in the pipeline, a Public Service commissioner is questioning how those projects may raise power rates for Montanans.
Brad Molnar is concerned that the increase in capacity could ease the way for Montana-produced power to head to higher-priced out-of-state markets.
In Nevada, federal lawmakers were told over the weekend that President Obama's proposed budget would zero out funding for Yucca Mountain, where for decades work has gone on for a nuclear waste repository.
The federal government is also planning to pull its application for the repository.
And in Colorado's La Plata County, several gas companies have filed for water rights for the water they pull deep out of the ground during drilling operations.
A 2007 state Supreme Court decision prompted energy companies to file for water rights on discharge water, designated as nontributary water, which frees the firms from a requirement to have a plan in place for junior water rights holders to replace water claimed by senior rights holders.
