ECMC outlines permit process for Crestone's oil and gas development plan

The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) convened on May 13, 2025, to discuss the ongoing permitting process for the Crestone State Harvard/Yale and State Wetterhorn/Handies Oil and Gas Development Plan (OGDP). The meeting highlighted ECMC's mission to regulate oil and gas development while ensuring the protection of public health, safety, and the environment.

Elias Thomas, the ECMC hearings manager, outlined the commission's role in overseeing the development and production of oil and gas resources, as well as carbon capture and underground natural gas storage. He explained that the OGDP process requires operators to seek approval for each proposed drilling location, which is part of a broader Comprehensive Area Plan (CAP). This CAP serves as a consultative framework for planning and permitting energy production in Colorado.

Crestone, the operator in question, received approval for its CAP in the summer of 2024. However, the current status of the CAP is complicated by a legal stay issued by a district court on January 29, 2025, due to an ongoing lawsuit involving a mineral owner who claims improper dismissal from the CAP proceedings. Despite this legal challenge, Thomas clarified that the ECMC can continue processing permit applications for oil and gas development within the CAP boundaries.

The public comment period for the OGDP is currently open, allowing stakeholders and community members to provide input. Thomas emphasized the importance of public participation, noting that comments can be submitted in writing or during the hearing. The commission will review all applications that pass the objective completeness phase and will consider qualitative input from the public before making a decision on the OGDP.

The next significant step in the process is a scheduled hearing for the OGDP on July 2, 2025, where the commission will decide whether to approve, deny, or stay the application. This meeting underscores the ongoing efforts of the ECMC to balance energy development with environmental and public health considerations in Colorado.