It was merely a month ago when Russia, a longtime oil titan, invaded Ukraine. Today, gas prices are soaring as an international tragedy unfolds.
What is happening to the people of Ukraine is horrific. While this column sympathizes with the humanitarian catastrophe faced by Ukrainians, its focus will be on the economic and security implications for Coloradans and what our state could be doing to lessen America’s dependence on foreign energy.
Why? Every time Coloradans fill their tanks, they invest in foreign powers. While nearly every Coloradan and American vehemently oppose Vladimir Putin’s needless military aggression, we depend on foreign countries for oil and remain handcuffed to the political whims of world leaders who do not have Americans’ best interest at heart.
It does not have to be this way. Colorado is home to a major oil and gas industry as well as a growing renewable energy industry. Our own policies are holding our state back in fueling America and ending our nation’s reliance on authoritarians like Putin.
I recently challenged Colorado Governor Jared Polis to work to repeal a bill he signed into law in 2019. I also called on members of Colorado’s General Assembly to repeal Senate Bill19-181, which stopped short of being an outright ban on drilling.
Under SB19-181, our state’s booming oil and gas industry has dramatically declined. Nine-thousand jobs were lost. Innovation and investment are stifled. Our ability to contribute to America’s oil independence, thus, America’s national security, has been severely curtailed. This call to repeal SB19-181 comes at a time when the average price of a gallon of gas in Colorado is up over $1 from a year ago.
The price volatility from the Russian invasion underscores how America’s role in the global marketplace – where oil prices are set — is not yet “energy independent.” Russia remains an oil supplier. U.S. companies imported 250 million barrels of oil and fuel from Russia in 2021. And since the invasion, President Biden has banned the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal to the United States, driving up crude oil prices to their highest levels since 2008.
Despite the best efforts of Polis and his party, Weld County remains Colorado’s top energy-producing county; number one in oil, natural gas, and renewable energy production. Since 2015, the oil and gas industry has curtailed its greenhouse gas emissions by 59%, leading all other industries in pollution reduction. Changes in Weld County land-use codes make it easier and more efficient for renewable energy developers to produce fuels that add to the national security provided for by the oil and gas industry. Weld County leads the state and nation in energy development.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gov. Polis has rightfully shown his support for Ukraine and disdain for Putin’s Russia. He’s been actively sending press statements and posting on social media. Yet his words and actions contradict one another. You can’t tell the people of Colorado that you are standing for Ukraine when your policies and that of Colorado’s largely Democratic leadership are working to halt Colorado’s oil and gas industry which stands ready to fuel America and make us more secure.
According to a state coast benefit analysis, the oil and gas industry in Colorado has incurred $500 million in new regulatory costs every year since the passage of SB19-181. Oil and gas production is down 30% in Colorado since Polis took office. In 2018, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) approved 440 location permits, 292 of those in Weld County. In 2021, the COGCC approved 5 location permits, 3 of which were in Weld.
Because of policies like SB19-181, we now invest in Russia and other foreign countries by buying their oil. I’ve heard you say that it is time to accelerate the development of renewable energy infrastructure. Let’s have that conversation. Let’s truly mean it by discussing nuclear power plants and investment in hydrogen technologies. Natural gas produced right here in Weld County serves as a bridge fuel to this cleaner future.
But please understand this: governmental overreach mandating premature adoption of 100% renewables in a rush to “electrify everything” only makes Colorado and America weaker. Neither the production capacity nor the transmission infrastructure exists. Colorado and America are most secure when utilizing a diverse, domestically produced energy supply inclusive of oil and gas.
Lean on Weld County for solutions. My fellow Weld County Commissioners and I are ready to assist. State Republican leaders will work with you in a truly bipartisan effort. You can help make America infinitely more secure and you can cut off monies going directly to Putin and his Russian oligarchs via the purchase of Russian and other foreign energy. Our energy future and the security of our state and nation should not be tied to geopolitical conflicts and global commodities.
Governor Polis, truly mean what you say and stop funding despots who mean harm to America by putting Coloradans back to work and allowing the production of energy here at home.
