New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon have introduced a new infrastructure plan to promote Rocky Mountain natural gas in U.S. and Asian markets. The “Rocky Mountain Gas Roadmap & Implementation Playbook,” developed under the Western States and Tribal Nations Energy Initiative (WSTN), outlines strategies to deliver responsibly produced natural gas from the region to both domestic and international buyers.
The announcement was made during the New Mexico and Wyoming Advanced Energy Roundtable, which included Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Yamada. The roadmap details two main transportation routes: the Pacific Northwest Pathway, serving power markets in Utah, Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest; and the Southwest Pathway, which expands supplies to the Desert Southwest and Mexico. The Southwest route also offers a faster shipping option to Asia by bypassing the Panama Canal.
Governor Lujan Grisham stated, “New Mexico is ready to lead the way in unlocking the Rocky Mountain’s potential to create jobs and opportunity, strengthen international collaboration, and write the next chapter in global energy. Putting the Rockies’ abundant energy to work benefits red and blue states by fueling our economies and the transition to clean energy.”
Governor Gordon highlighted opportunities for immediate business cooperation: “Both Wyoming and New Mexico have led the country in producing certified gas meeting UN standards, and Japan is particularly interested in that opportunity for cooperation and investment. We can provide natural gas resources very near-term—almost immediately—and this is just good business. It’s about moving into a future that meets climate concerns while making sure energy is there as demand continues to grow enormously.”
Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Yamada expressed appreciation for the initiative: “This is a very informative and detailed introduction to the potential of Rocky Mountain natural gas, and it is very much appreciated by the Japanese. I hope today’s meeting will lead to further cooperation and economic partnership between Japan and the State of New Mexico.”
Jason Sandel, chairman of WSTN, emphasized that policymakers now have a practical guide for expanding market access: “This playbook is the culmination of years of work and is designed as a tool to help policymakers and commercial actors seize the major opportunities that Rockies gas present to domestic markets seeking lower-carbon gas and the Asian nations that will drive global demand in the coming decades. We have the gas and the cleanest molecules of it. This playbook shows the way to the markets that need it.”
The roadmap builds on Governor Lujan Grisham’s previous efforts with Asian partners following her trade mission where she met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba earlier this year.
Rocky Mountain natural gas production features competitive costs—between $3.10 and $3.90 per MMBtu—and comes from producers who have achieved significant methane emissions reductions, according to data referenced in today's release. The region holds an estimated 277 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable reserves suitable for both regional use and export.
Funding for this roadmap came from several state agencies—including those from New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah—as well as tribal entities like Jicarilla Apache Nation, Southern Ute Growth Fund, plus counties in western Colorado.
The full report can be accessed at https://www.governor.state.nm.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WSTN-NatGas-Roadmap-10.16.25.pdf.
