Utah Oil Shale Plans—'First Commercial Production In Decades'

A proposal to build and operate the first commercial oil shale production facility “in decades” near the Book Cliffs in Utah is meeting legal opposition from environmental groups.

1 minute read

January 26, 2014, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Amy Joi O’Donoghue reports that Red Leaf Resources is moving forward with plans to produce oil from oil shale in the Book Cliffs area of Utah. Red Leaf’s goal is to “[produce] 300,000 barrels of oil by the end of 2015.” The proposal is notable as the “the world's first commercial production of oil shale in decades.”

The land use concern of Red Leaf is not insignificant: “Red Leaf holds leases to 17,000 acres of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands,” reports O’Donoghue. “In this next phase, the company will use a 6-acre area involving a clay- and gravel-lined pit that is 200 feet deep, where the shale will be heated at 725 degrees to extract the oil.”

Red Leaf’s plans are meeting significant resistance from environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Living Rivers. Environmental groups and Red Leaf have framed the controversy of the operation as old energy vs. new energy. Jeff Hartley, spokesperson for Red Leaf, is quoted in the article: “My response to criticism of oil shale is that either you hate carbon-based energies or you don’t.”

Environmental groups “have also opposed the permit issued to U.S. Oil Sands for its operation to extract bitumen from Utah's oil sands resources. That case is pending before the Utah Supreme Court,” reports O’Donoghue.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 in Deseret News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.