Gov. John Hickenlooper says he welcomes the increased production of natural gas in Colorado, but acknowledges sensible regulations are needed to protect human health and the environment.
Hickenlooper spoke Monday at the National Governors Association conference on shale energy. He is co-hosting the two-day forum with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin in an attempt to spark dialogue on the controversial subject of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
It’s certainly a hot-button issue in Colorado, with residents in a handful of cities and towns trying to enact moratoria or outright bans on drilling in their communities.
At the conference, policy makers, energy executives, and regulators from around the country are expected to focus on how states can work together to establish pragmatic environmental safeguards.
Fallin, who is considered a proponent of “safe fracking,” cited a recent study by IHS that found the energy boom has led to 2.1 billion jobs nationwide and added more than $280 billion to the GDP.
Fallin says continuing to develop domestic energy resources will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, while at the same time generating more revenue for state and local governments.
The NGA conference on shale energy wraps up Tuesday in Broomfield.
