Energy Conversation is Local, Global
Mark Green
Posted June 10, 2014
Battle over Natural Gas Poses Risks for Colorado Democrats
New York Times: DENVER — An impassioned national debate over the oil-production technique known as fracking is edging toward the ballot box in Colorado, opening an election-year rift between moderate, energy-friendly Democrats and environmentalists who want to rein in drilling or give local communities the power to outlaw it altogether.
If they make the ballot in November, an array of proposals will be among the first in the nation to ask a state’s voters to sharply limit energy development. Some measures would keep drilling as far as a half-mile from Colorado homes. Others would give individual communities the right to ban fracking.
The ballot measures reflect the anxieties that have accompanied a drilling boom across the West. As drilling sites are built closer to playgrounds and suburban homes in communities along Colorado’s northern plains, residents and environmental groups have called for more regulation and have pushed for moratoriums on drilling.
But in a bellwether state like Colorado, where views on drilling vary as much as the geography, the measures could ignite an all-out battle involving oil companies, business groups and conservationists that pulls in millions in outside money, sets off a rush of campaign ads and spawns lawsuits for years to come. That is why Gov. John W. Hickenlooper and other Democratic leaders are working feverishly on a compromise that would give communities more control of energy development in their backyards while keeping the fracking issue off the ballot.
Read more: http://nyti.ms/1hLIhZs
More industry news:
- Canadian Official Lays Groundwork for Oil Pipeline (subscription publication): http://on.wsj.com/1xDhSSb
- German CEOs Lament Lost Innovation With Fracking Restrictions: http://bloom.bg/SKnyt3
- IEA says Golden Age of Natural Gas Will Spread to China Over Next Five Years: http://bit.ly/1qokfTX
- Eagle Ford May Recycle Half of its Wastewater Within Five Years: http://bit.ly/1oJnGW7
- Tri-State Shale Traveler Blog: Gas Drilling’s Effect on Roads Being Addressed: http://bit.ly/1pAEtdi
- Carpe Diem Blog: Bakken Jobless Rate is 0.9%, Walmart Pays 2.4 Times the Minimum Wage: http://bit.ly/1pAGhTB
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.