For more than 70 years, fracking has been a cornerstone of Colorado’s economy—meeting both our energy and economic needs, while protecting our environment.
As Governor Hickenlooper said during his State of the State address in 2017, Colorado has emerged as “one of the best states in the country for natural gas production,” because we “put the energy needs and costs of hard working Coloradans before any special interest agenda.” Put simply, we’re charting the course of America’s energy future by working together to safely and responsibly harness our state’s vast natural resources. Naturally, it makes sense that we should all play by the same set of rules.
We’ve become one of the best states in the country for natural gas production… We have put the energy needs and costs of hard working Coloradans before any special interest agenda or false promise.
—Former Governor John Hickenlooper (2017)
In 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of private property rights and good-paying jobs, declaring that it violates state law for local governments to ban fracking. Despite this ruling, several places in Colorado still have rules on the books that put our entire state’s energy future at risk. Former Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman challenged a 2017 Boulder County moratorium on new oil and gas development, saying that “every local government across the state has an obligation to comply with the law.” Coffman went on to say, “the Colorado Supreme Court has made clear that local governments do not have the authority to ban oil and gas development.”
Coloradans know that a ban on fracking would devastate our economy and jeopardize Colorado’s—and America’s—energy future. So when it comes to deciding how best to develop our state’s natural resources, the answer isn’t more regulation or legislation—it’s better education.
Whether you live in Eagle County or in the heart of the energy boom, maintaining our position as a leader in safe, responsible fracking means billions more in economic activity, thousands of good jobs, and increased funds for education, public safety, and our park system. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people across Colorado from research scientists to engineers to drill operators depend on our energy industry.
As a 2017 Forbes article put it: “Natural gas is the wave of the future in U.S. and global electricity production.” Together we can make sure that all Coloradans have the facts about how fracking impacts our schools and parks, our economy, and our families.
