Unlocking the value of Rockies natural gas

Challenge 

Federal policy increasingly recognizes the need for abundant, secure, and low-carbon energy to meet surging domestic and international demand. In 2024, U.S. natural gas consumption reached a record high of more than 34 quadrillion BTU, second only to oil among primary energy sources. This growth is driven by the rapid expansion of data centers, industrial onshoring, and the transition from coal to gas in power generation—all of which reinforce natural gas as a cornerstone of domestic energy reliability and geopolitical strength.  

In light of these shifts, the Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) Energy Initiative—a bipartisan coalition of sovereign tribal nations and U.S. states—recognized a strategic imperative: unlocking the full value of the Rocky Mountains natural gas supply basins in a way that supports tribal self-determination, rural economic development, and U.S. energy dominance. 

The barriers to achieving that goal were considerable. Despite the immensity of its gas reserves, the Rockies region has long been constrained by limited transportation infrastructure, fragmented permitting, and underdeveloped market access. The WSTN Energy Initiative knew it needed a set of concrete actions for overcoming those barriers in order to position the region as a strategic asset in advancing U.S. energy dominance. 

Approach 

The WSTN Energy Initiative partnered with Guidehouse to create a comprehensive plan for building the infrastructure, the policy, and the markets—both domestic and international—for natural gas development in the Rockies region. Working with WSTN leaders and aligned stakeholders, we developed a roadmap that aligns with both federal energy priorities and tribal economic goals. Our approach centered on five principal action areas: 

1. Strategic market analysis: We assessed domestic and international demand scenarios, identifying two high-value pathways for Rockies gas: 
   
   • A Southwest Pathway serving incremental U.S. power generation and Mexican LNG exports 
   • A Pacific Northwest Pathway focused on domestic load growth and regional grid reliability concerns 
2. Value chain economics: The roadmap models full-cycle costs across production, pipeline, liquefaction, and shipping. It demonstrates that Rockies natural gas can be profitably delivered to Asia at competitive prices, with shorter transit times and lower emissions than U.S. Gulf Coast alternatives.  
3. Infrastructure strategy and permitting: The roadmap prioritizes projects that leverage existing rights-of-way and align with federal permitting reform efforts. It proposes public-private partnerships to de-risk investment and accelerate deployment.  
4. Tribal and state engagement: The WSTN’s governance model ensures that tribal nations are co-leaders in infrastructure planning, with clear pathways for ownership, permitting, and revenue participation.  
5. Policy alignment: The roadmap explicitly supports federal goals of energy dominance by expanding natural gas domestic supply, diversifying export routes, and strengthening U.S. competitiveness in global LNG markets. 

Impact 

Executive-level endorsement and international market signaling 
The Rocky Mountain Gas Roadmap & Implementation Playbook elevated the WSTN Energy Initiative to the highest levels of state and international energy dialogue. Its release, in conjunction with an event attended by the governors of New Mexico and Wyoming and the Japanese ambassador to the U.S., signaled bipartisan, executive-level validation of the roadmap as a credible foundation for future LNG market engagement and cross-border energy cooperation. 

Direct application in international energy diplomacy 
Upon publication, the roadmap was immediately deployed as a practical engagement tool in discussions with Japanese government officials, reinforcing Rockies natural gas as a viable, lower-emission supply option for Asian markets. Its use at a governors-led trade summit demonstrates that the analysis is already shaping real-world conversations around export pathways and international energy partnerships. 

Establishing a unified, external-facing narrative for WSTN 
The roadmap became the WSTN Energy Initiative’s primary public articulation of its energy strategy. WSTN has since consistently referenced the report in public communications as the definitive framework for explaining how Rockies natural gas can advance energy security, decarbonization, and rural and tribal economic development—providing a clear, consistent narrative for policymakers, investors, and global stakeholders. 

Strengthened tribal standing in regional energy planning 
The roadmap formalized a shared analytical and governance framework that positions tribal nations as co-equal participants in multistate energy planning. This has strengthened tribes’ ability to engage in infrastructure discussions, influence permitting and routing decisions, and advocate for long-term economic participation using a common, data-driven reference point endorsed by state leadership. 

Validation of a bipartisan, state–tribal coalition model 
By publicly highlighting joint state and tribal sponsorship—and the absence of corporate funding—the roadmap reinforced WSTN’s credibility as a neutral convener capable of aligning diverse interests around complex infrastructure decisions. This validation strengthened the coalition’s standing with federal agencies, international partners, and prospective private-sector stakeholders. 

A unified, investor- and policymaker-facing foundation for future action 
By consolidating market analysis, infrastructure pathways, and policy context into a single, publicly accessible roadmap, WSTN now has a cohesive, data-backed platform for engaging regulators, developers, and policymakers—reducing fragmentation and increasing the region’s credibility as a strategic Rocky Mountains gas supply basin.