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Colorado Governor Candidates Outline Differences On Energy

Courtesy of Walker Stapleton for Governor, Polis for Colorado
Republican candidate for governor Walker Stapleton and Democratic candidate Jared Polis.

The Republican candidate for Colorado governor is warning that Democrats want to impose job-killing restrictions on oil and gas development.

His opponent says energy is vital to Colorado's economy but the state has to address persistent conflicts between the industry and neighborhoods.

Republican Walker Stapleton and Democrat Jared Polis made their pitches to the Colorado Oil and Gas Association's annual Energy Summit on Wednesday.

Both said they oppose a ballot initiative that would increase the minimum distance between new wells and occupied buildings to 2,500 feet. The current minimum is 500 feet.

Stapleton said Colorado can have both a clean environment and a thriving fossil fuel industry. Polis said the state should respect the industry's economic contribution but can do more to protect public health and safety.

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Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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