I am a mother. I am a Coloradan. I am an Army veteran. I am a registered Democrat. I care deeply about public health and safety. I am an environmentalist. I value a good quality of life.
I am Colorado Oil and Gas.
As the new executive director of the Colorado Petroleum Council, I couldn’t be more excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
Colorado has become a leader in America’s energy revolution since the turn of the century; as production has quadrupled, while emissions have been reduced by 50 percent. By working together, our way has become a model for the nation. We should strive to keep it that way.
From industry, to activists, to local governments, to state regulatory agencies, we want to continue working together toward mutually agreeable outcomes that protect our land, water, and air, as well as our vibrant economy.
Creating a blueprint that defends these shared values is the Colorado way. All stakeholders now have before us an enormous opportunity in the coming months and years of pending rulemakings that the recently signed Senate Bill 181 requires: a chance to listen, to come together, and to create lasting solutions.
We need not, and must not, choose winners and losers in shaping Colorado’s energy future.
This is why we have been disappointed in recent weeks to watch six local jurisdictions impose moratoriums on new energy development, contradicting assertions from state lawmakers that no such actions would follow the passage of SB-181.
Our industry continues to work with communities and counties to find common ground, knowing full well that it can be challenging to achieve balance on these important issues. While community-level decisions might seem small, in the long run they will ultimately affect the fate of our 232,900 neighbors that Colorado’s natural gas and oil industry supports.
READ: Colorado Sun opinion columnists.
America has energy security for the first time in its history because of the innovation and technological development brought to bear by one of the greatest work forces in our nation.
As someone who proudly served this nation in uniform, I am especially proud of our industry’s achievement, not least in terms of our national security. Energy security can only be maintained if we can develop our natural resources here at home and, specifically, in Colorado.
We have achieved these advancements while simultaneously focusing on health and safety and on mitigating environmental impacts. After all, Colorado is our home, too. That is real progress that should make us all proud.
As we go forward, let’s strive for a Colorado that continues to serve as a model for that progress. I am both honored and excited to help tell that story.
Lynn Granger is executive director of the Colorado Petroleum Council, a division of the American Petroleum Institute, whose more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation’s energy.