House approves ban on Roan drilling

According to the AP, Energy companies would be barred from tapping natural gas on federal land atop the scenic Roan Plateau under the energy bill passed by the House Saturday.

The provision was inserted by Colorado Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar, and was one of two victories for state Democrats on the bill.Udall and Rep. Diana DeGette also helped lead a successful fight to add a renewable energy requirement. It would require utilities to get 15 percent of their electricity from wind, solar or other renewable energy sources by 2020.The bill also includes a measure by Udall extending the amount of time the Bureau of Land Management has to prepare regulations for oil shale leases. It gives the state 120 days to review them before they are adopted.

There's been so much back and forth on the fate of the Roan, it's hard to know what will ultimately happen, but local leaders certainly seem to be doing their share to slow down energy development on the plateau.

To see video of the area from Gov. Bill Ritter's recent helicopter tour, click here.