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NEWS RELEASE API Colorado, Colorado Oil & Gas Association respond to introduction of House Bill 23-1294 DENVER, April 14, 2023 – Last night, Representatives Jennifer Bacon and Jenny Willford, along with Senators Faith Winter and Julie Gonzales, introduced House Bill 23-1294, a far-reaching air quality and permitting measure which, if passed and signed into law, would functionally prohibit new permitting for most industrial processes in the state. The bill was introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives, where it was assigned to the House Energy & Environment Committee. “It feels like Groundhog Day, with this measure only the latest in a yearslong series of legislation that aims to completely halt natural gas and oil production in Colorado,” said Kait Schwartz, Director of API Colorado. “If passed, this bill would have profoundly negative effects across the spectrum, from our air quality to our economy and ultimately, to the state as a whole. Colorado voters don’t need to choose between having the energy they need and use every day and safeguarding people and the environment, but this measure supposes just that.” “This is not a serious attempt to lower ozone, it’s a backdoor ban on oil and gas,” noted Dan Haley, President & CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association. “In fact, it would only downgrade air quality as Colorado would be forced to import out-of-state and foreign energy as new production of oil and gas is eliminated. It certainly doesn’t meet the vision Gov. Polis outlined a month ago when he directed the state regulatory agencies to work with industry to decrease emissions 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.” Named the Protecting Communities From Air Pollution Act, House Bill 23-1294 provides inaccurate findings on the contribution of oil and natural gas sources, mischaracterizes the effects of oil and natural gas development, and even infers that “minor” sources often “escape air quality impact analysis in Colorado’s permitting process.” It claims that “extraordinary” measures are needed to address ozone attainment without mentioning other source categories, including transportation. While much of the bill focuses on the oil and natural gas industry, its requirement that permitters take into account any indirect air pollution sources will affect a wide range of industries across the state. “The bill was thrown together in the last few weeks of the legislative session, completely devoid of a stakeholder process inclusive of the industries that would be most impacted, and is unworthy of consideration by the General Assembly,” continued Schwartz. “On matters as consequential as this, process matters, and if the bill sponsors cared to understand the ramifications of what they are introducing, they could have simply asked any one of the impacted industries. We are disappointed they chose a different path.” “Our industry is developing some of the cleanest energy molecules on the planet,” concluded Haley. “But this bill, written by activist groups, could drive up energy prices on Coloradans and bring much of the broader economy to a grinding halt.” ABOUT API COLORADO: API Colorado is a division of the American Petroleum Institute, which represents all facets of the natural gas and oil industry. Our nearly 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence®, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability. To learn more about API and the value of oil and natural gas, please visit API.org. ABOUT COGA: Founded in 1984, the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s (COGA) mission is to foster and promote the beneficial, efficient, responsible and environmentally sound development, production and use of Colorado oil and natural gas. COGA is a nationally recognized trade association that aggressively promotes the expansion of Rocky Mountain natural gas markets, supply, and transportation infrastructure through its growing and diverse membership. ###
NEWS RELEASE
API Colorado, Colorado Oil & Gas Association respond to introduction of House Bill 23-1294
DENVER, April 14, 2023 – Last night, Representatives Jennifer Bacon and Jenny Willford, along with Senators Faith Winter and Julie Gonzales, introduced House Bill 23-1294, a far-reaching air quality and permitting measure which, if passed and signed into law, would functionally prohibit new permitting for most industrial processes in the state. The bill was introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives, where it was assigned to the House Energy & Environment Committee.
“It feels like Groundhog Day, with this measure only the latest in a yearslong series of legislation that aims to completely halt natural gas and oil production in Colorado,” said Kait Schwartz, Director of API Colorado. “If passed, this bill would have profoundly negative effects across the spectrum, from our air quality to our economy and ultimately, to the state as a whole. Colorado voters don’t need to choose between having the energy they need and use every day and safeguarding people and the environment, but this measure supposes just that.”
“This is not a serious attempt to lower ozone, it’s a backdoor ban on oil and gas,” noted Dan Haley, President & CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association. “In fact, it would only downgrade air quality as Colorado would be forced to import out-of-state and foreign energy as new production of oil and gas is eliminated. It certainly doesn’t meet the vision Gov. Polis outlined a month ago when he directed the state regulatory agencies to work with industry to decrease emissions 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.”
Named the Protecting Communities From Air Pollution Act, House Bill 23-1294 provides inaccurate findings on the contribution of oil and natural gas sources, mischaracterizes the effects of oil and natural gas development, and even infers that “minor” sources often “escape air quality impact analysis in Colorado’s permitting process.” It claims that “extraordinary” measures are needed to address ozone attainment without mentioning other source categories, including transportation. While much of the bill focuses on the oil and natural gas industry, its requirement that permitters take into account any indirect air pollution sources will affect a wide range of industries across the state.
“The bill was thrown together in the last few weeks of the legislative session, completely devoid of a stakeholder process inclusive of the industries that would be most impacted, and is unworthy of consideration by the General Assembly,” continued Schwartz. “On matters as consequential as this, process matters, and if the bill sponsors cared to understand the ramifications of what they are introducing, they could have simply asked any one of the impacted industries. We are disappointed they chose a different path.”
“Our industry is developing some of the cleanest energy molecules on the planet,” concluded Haley. “But this bill, written by activist groups, could drive up energy prices on Coloradans and bring much of the broader economy to a grinding halt.”
ABOUT API COLORADO:
API Colorado is a division of the American Petroleum Institute, which represents all facets of the natural gas and oil industry. Our nearly 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence®, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.
To learn more about API and the value of oil and natural gas, please visit API.org.
ABOUT COGA:
Founded in 1984, the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s (COGA) mission is to foster and promote the beneficial, efficient, responsible and environmentally sound development, production and use of Colorado oil and natural gas. COGA is a nationally recognized trade association that aggressively promotes the expansion of Rocky Mountain natural gas markets, supply, and transportation infrastructure through its growing and diverse membership.
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