Oil and natural gas powers more than the lights in our homes and communities. In more ways than one, it puts the Colorado in Colorful Colorado.
Take any road or highway into the Centennial State, and you’ll likely spot one of the more than 40 signs welcoming travelers far and wide to “Colorful Colorado.” From our snowy mountains, picturesque rivers, colorful sand dunes, and expansive plains creased by wide canyons, Colorado has it all. And whether you’re on I-70 coming east from Utah through the Rockies or on I-25 northbound from New Mexico, you’ll see what we mean by “Colorful Colorado” and why Colorado is one of the fastest growing states in America.
Our Commitment to Colorado
In Colorado, we’re deeply proud of our land. We’re proud of the communities we’ve built on it, proud of its beauty, and proud of the natural resources that power our state.
Without oil and natural gas, Colorado would not enjoy the employment rate and economic success it’s known for today. In 2015, the oil and natural gas industry contributed more than $31 billion to Colorado’s economy and supported over 232,900 jobs. According to the Denver Business Journal, those 232,900 oil and natural gas jobs account “for nearly 7 percent” of all jobs in Colorado.
In addition to supporting and creating good jobs, the industry generates more than $1 billion annually in revenues to state and local governments, school districts and special districts—funding schools, parks and roads across the state. In fact, according to the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, “approximately 80% of the revenues generated by the Colorado State Land Board come from oil and gas.” This provides critical funding that goes to support and improve Colorado schools and give back to our communities.
Approximately 80% of the revenues generated by the Colorado State Land Board come from oil and gas.
—Colorado Department of Natural Resources (2018)
Colorado also maintains some of the strongest energy regulations in the country. From real-time groundwater monitoring, to responsible setbacks from buildings, installing noise barriers during drilling operations, and re-routing or reducing truck traffic away from communities, just in the last decade, Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry has undergone 15 rulemakings to ensure our regulations are up-to-date with the latest technological innovations.
And thanks to recent technological innovation and leadership across the industry, Colorado has cut emissions in the Denver Metro/North Front Range region by nearly 50% in recent years and CO2 emissions in the U.S. are down 750 million metric tons since 2005.
Today, Colorado looks much different than it did when it was dubbed the “Centennial State” in 1876. But the reasons people flock by the thousands are nearly the same. The same power that flows beneath our feet today is the same energy that has powered Colorado’s cutting edge innovation, turned the engines of technology, fueled the passion of inventors, and driven the breakthroughs of science for decades.
The power of oil and natural gas is the power for dreams.
Learn More!
Want to learn more about fracking? What is in fracking fluid? How much water does fracking use? Click here to get the facts on fracking in Colorado – from our state’s stringent regulations to how it powers our economy and supports our communities.
