A New Energy Economy - Center for the New Energy Economy ...

CHAPTER FOUR – SUSTAINING MOMENTUM
incentives through state, local and utility
partners simply by entering their zip code.
The GEO also dramatically stepped up
weatherization and efficiency efforts geared
toward low-income Coloradans to ensure all
economic levels of the state were sharing in
the benefits. The office added a new partner
– Veterans Green Jobs – that specializes in
putting returning military veterans to work
on weatherization projects. Such a wide
spectrum approach to building the new
energy marketplace drew praise from across
the sector. Jeff Scott, founder of SolSource
Solar – one of nearly 400 new solar
companies in Colorado - said his company
added 34 new employees in two months to
keep up with the demand for solar systems
generated by rebates. Combined with
Colorado’s new energy policies, they are
“definitely getting people employed and off
of unemployment,” he said.
Colorado’s far-sighted views on energy
made it a magnet for additional Recovery
Act dollars beyond those administered by
state officials. Indeed, some $600 million
in additional stimulus was directed
toward wind farms, next-generation solar
companies, the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory and energy efficiency projects
in federal buildings. Dozens of recipients
included UQM Technologies, which received
$45 million to accelerate the manufacturing
and deployment of electric vehicle batteries,
two utilities, which shared $24 million to
advance the Smart Grid, along with
Vestas and Abound Solar to advance
innovation in manufacturing their
wind and solar products.
Natural gas
The New Energy Economy does not
exclude fossil fuels. It looks for ways to
use fossil fuels with greater efficiency,
fewer emissions and more environmental
protections, including “mission critical”
natural gas. Governor Ritter’s support
for increasing the use of cleaner-burning
natural gas in Colorado has at times been
overshadowed by his initial efforts to
strengthen oversight of the gas drilling
industry. That came through the regulatory
overhaul designed to protect air, water, land,
wildlife and local communities from what
was an unprecedented expansion of
drilling during a boom period from
2004 through 2008.
But greater oversight was also strategic –
a prelude to a higher-profile role for natural
gas in Colorado. To generate support for
greater use, residents needed assurances
of environmental protections. In 2009,
Governor Ritter – in a speech to an oil and
gas industry conference – made it clear that
it was a “mission critical” part of Colorado’s
New Energy Economy. It was not a bridge
fuel, but an important component of the
energy picture, providing baseload electric
power, lower emissions of carbon and
pollutants and a growing role as
a transportation fuel for fleet and
heavy-duty vehicles.
The reconstituted Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission set out in 2007 to strengthen
rules guiding oil and gas development
in Colorado. The process was arduous.
Industry groups were opposed, while
sporting and environmental groups
supported the changes. It was the
most contentious fight of Governor
Ritter’s administration.
But the ordeal represented the kind of
difficult steps Governor Ritter was willing to
take throughout his tenure, and what had
to happen to get the state to the right place
for increasing natural gas use in the New
Energy Economy, according to deputy chief
of staff Weil. “The industry through those
times completely vilified Bill Ritter,” he
recalled. But, “Bill Ritter’s vision was living
his campaign phrase - to be a ‘stubborn
steward’ of the environment and to find
a constructive balance between energy
development and environmental protection.
This is a brilliant example of why politicians
need to do remain committed to what
is in the best long-term interest of their
constituents. You go through these cycles
where you’re the devil one day and a saint
the next. In this environment, having a solid
core and strong vision is essential.”
The rules set the stage for the industry’s
long-term presence in Colorado and as a
critical energy and economic player and
important partner. As the firestorm over
the rules calmed, and the economy began
to stabilize, natural gas firms continued
to drill and many announced new,
expanded development plans. A major
announcement in the summer of 2010 saw
the administration forge agreements with
nine major energy companies to protect
more than 350,000 acres of wildlife habitat
on Colorado’s Western Slope while also
allowing for drilling at an accelerated pace,
and providing the firms with the certainty
they need for business planning. “This
balanced approach will drive our economy
forward, allow us to maximize our vast
energy resources and ensure sustainable
communities for years to come,” Governor
Ritter said.
The administration has also worked closely
with the natural gas industry to expand
the use of compressed natural gas (CNG)
as a transportation fuel. In 2009, the GEO
awarded two grants totaling nearly $800,000
to develop fueling stations in two Western
Slope communities with heavy natural gas
production. The grants would allow public,
private and heavy-duty vehicles powered
with CNG to more easily access the fuel and
provide more options for fill-up along the
Interstate 70 corridor.
Creating a regulatory structure that allowed
natural gas drilling to keep growing,
while also protecting the scenic natural
environment that is key to Colorado’s
economy, was a critical part of the
Governor’s New Energy Economy strategy.
It would set the stage for a revolutionary
measure in the final legislative session that
would cement natural gas a cornerstone
of Colorado’s energy picture for decades
to come.
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