Common sense is too often in short supply when it comes to the state legislative process. As two long-time Democratic senators representing working families, we’ve worked hard to keep this sense flowing when it comes to important Colorado issues and hold back on the partisan lather.
Few issues in our state need a common-sense approach more than energy policy. Unfortunately, some in the public discourse have lost sight of the vital role gas and oil plays in a balanced energy policy, and the unequivocal fact that Colorado has passed – and continues to develop – the toughest, most comprehensive and environmentally protective energy regulations in the country.
Meanwhile, others too quickly gloss over the fact that even in this new-energy economy, we need clean-burning natural gas as back-up for those times when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Still others seem prone to ignore the reality that more than 100,000 hard-working Coloradans rely on the gas-and-oil sector to put food on the table, put kids through school and save for retirement.
If we refuse to see the vital benefits of responsible gas development, we won’t. If we can continue to produce natural gas safely – and if natural gas is the cleanest, most effective form of back-up power for wind and solar – why on Earth wouldn’t we embrace a sensible approach to natural-gas development in this state? The truth is, we should and we are.
We’ve worked to keep the focus on the facts surrounding energy regulation, whether on the topic of hydraulic fracturing, which has been conducted safely in Colorado since the 1960s, environmental protection, community concerns or proximity to residential areas. Unfortunately, some are now distorting the facts in order to push aside the common-sense, statewide framework of regulation and replace it with a crazy quilt of regulations that vary widely from one community to the next. A group of respected business leaders recently called this demand for a patchwork approach to regulation “an invitation to regulatory chaos.”
We agree.
We come down squarely on the side of maintaining the “Colorado Way” of regulating gas and oil – putting the state in the principal position of oversight and control while requiring regulators, citizens and energy companies to work actively with local government in addressing specific local concerns.
This “constructive partnership” structure has over the last several years produced significant benefits to every Coloradan. Our state is looked at as a model for how to achieve balanced, sensible energy regulation. Maintaining our current constructive partnership results in concrete, enforceable environmental protections for us all. Moreover, a comprehensive package of statewide regulations allows gas and oil companies to make business decisions with an established certainty. This keeps Colorado competitive, as energy companies decide where around the world to invest precious capital.
As this debate moves forward, we believe policymakers should keep their eyes on the prize: a balanced and common-sense energy policy. We join business leaders across Colorado who support a consistent, comprehensive, statewide approach to energy regulation as the best means to secure public safety, protection of our environment and a predictable business climate.
We believe that will allow our great state to continue realizing the real public benefits that responsible gas and oil development holds.
State Sens. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, and Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, are members of Vital for Colorado – vitalforcolorado.com – a coalition of local government officials, business leaders and individuals who support responsible energy production in Colorado.
