Colorado Petroleum Council Responds to Senate Bill 181’s Passage through House Energy & Environment Committee
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DENVER, March 19, 2019 – The Colorado House of Representatives’ Energy & Environment Committee this morning approved Senate Bill 181 on a party-line vote. The bill passed the State Senate last Thursday, less than two weeks after its introduction.
“Senate Bill 181 is a misguided proposal loaded with unintended consequences,” said Colorado Petroleum Council spokesman Ben Marter. “When legislation of this magnitude is crafted without proper stakeholder input, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s sorely lacking in technical expertise. Based on the language of the bill, one could conclude that the measure’s sponsors are intentionally avoiding the very expertise that such broad-reaching legislation requires.
“Such a strategy might be politically clever, but Senate Bill 181 threatens 233,000 Colorado jobs in and around the natural gas and oil industry,” continued Marter. “This measure threatens the viability of entire communities across our state yet continues to be forced through the legislative process at breakneck speed. With so many Colorado jobs and such wide-ranging economic impacts at stake, we simply ask that Democratic leadership include proper analysis and a thorough stakeholder process. The hardworking women and men whose careers depend on the energy industry deserve appropriate consideration and process.”
On Monday afternoon, Colorado Petroleum Council Associate Director Chris McGowne testified in opposition to the measure in the House Energy & Environment Committee. His full testimony can be read here.
The Colorado Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports more than ten million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization. In our first 100 years, API has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.