Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal has severed his ties with a new Golden-based energy advocacy group after a letter from the group endorsed an aggressive plan for oil and gas development.
The association, Americans for American Energy, said it supports several energy initiatives, including a controversial proposal to drill on western Colorado’s scenic Roan Plateau.
But Freudenthal, a Democrat, said his initial support for the group was never intended as an endorsement of specific energy proposals in other states.
“In light of highly inappropriate assertions made by Americans for American Energy, I am withdrawing my support for the organization and ending any relationship between the state of Wyoming and AAE,” Freudenthal said in a letter sent Wednesday to AAE founder Jim Sims.
An AAE official described the flare-up as a “misunderstanding” and said the group has apologized to the governor.
Freudenthal cited a widely distributed letter from the group this week that listed the governor as a supporter and then endorsed the Roan drilling proposal and efforts to increase production of oil and gas from American coastal waters and Alaska’s coastal plain.
The letter also criticizes Colorado’s “over-regulation” of water disposal from coal-bed methane drilling and calls for “reforms” of federal environmental regulations.
“I do not agree with the initiatives,” Freudenthal wrote. “I do not profess to tell other governors how to run their states.”
Freudenthal spokeswoman Cara Eastwood said the governor’s initial support for the group was based on his perception that it was an energy education association.
Greg Schnacke, the newly named president of AAE, said the group supports a broad agenda for development of all domestic energy sources, including oil and gas, clean-coal power generation and renewable energy.
Schnacke previously ran the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, an energy advocacy group.
“All I can say is that clearly there was a misunderstanding” with Freudenthal, Schnacke said. “We want to work with the governor because the West is the breadbasket of American energy production.”
Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, said Ritter has never endorsed AAE.
“The governor is trying to bring a balanced approach to energy issues in Colorado,” Dreyer said. “You can see from this kind of rhetoric (from AAE) that they are not a balanced group.”
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached at 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
