Colorado Should Listen To The Will Of Voters On Fracking

January 4, 2019

Colorado has been an economic miracle during the past decade, and it’s due in large part to the energy industry. In 2010, Colorado was ranked 40^th in job creation. Today it has the number one economy in the nation.

This kind of economic turnaround doesn’t happen by accident.

Colorado’s economic boom has been fueled in large part by growth in the energy industry. But now special interest groups are pressuring Polis to cut off permits for the fracking industry, even though voters showed their support for the industry at the ballot box last November. Fracking has brought high-paying jobs to regions of the state that sorely needed them. That’s why yesterday we sent Governor-Elect Polis a letter calling on him to stand strong.

Read that letter here.

Colorado doubled its natural gas output since 2001, and it is now one of the top five natural gas producing states in the country. The oil and gas industry now contributes $32 billion per year to Colorado’s economy.

For Colorado families, that means a paycheck on Friday, food on the table, and money in the kids’ college fund.

But last year, left-wing environmentalists tried to stifle this growth with an oppressive ballot measure designed to cripple the energy industry. Fortunately, the people saw through this attack on their well-being and rose up at the ballot box to defeat the measure with 57 percent of the vote.

The environmentalists don’t seem willing to accept their loss. Now, they’re trying to go around the people and force the incoming Governor, Jared Polis, to act unilaterally to halt fracking permits. The Denver Post exposed their plan yesterday, noting that environmentalist groups have hired “a well-connected player in Colorado political circles” to lobby on their behalf.

Governor-elect Jared Polis and Colorado leaders who care about the economy should stand up to these insider tactics. Politically connected special interest groups are attempting to circumvent the will of Colorado voters who just spoke out on this issue, and Power The Future is working to stop them.

The energy industry is vital to Colorado’s continued success. The people know this and voted accordingly. Now we’ll find out if the politicians will listen to the special interests or the people.