Colorado rancher spent $50,000 fighting oil; now gets wind project on land
A Colorado rancher who spent years and significant funds fighting oil infrastructure on his land has received approval for a wind energy project on the same property. The case highlights the complexities of 'split estate' laws, where surface owners often have limited control over mineral rights beneath their land.
Why it matters
The conflict illustrates the tension between private land ownership, mineral rights, and the transition to renewable energy infrastructure.
A Colorado rancher who spent $50,000 fighting oil infrastructure on his 7,000-acre property has won approval for a wind project on the same land. Weld County commissioners voted 3-2 on Wednesday to approve the project, nearly a decade after oil development began affecting his ranch.According to Cowboy State Daily, Scott Salo bought the ranch in northern Weld County in 2014 after running a farm and feedlot in Torrington, Wyoming, with his wife for almost 15 years. The family moved to Colorado to ranch and rebuilt the property, including facilities for their cattle.In 2017, an oil company approached Salo about placing drilling infrastructure on his property. The company wanted to reach oil and gas reserves beneath neighbouring properties through horizontal drilling.
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