Recent shifts in opinion from both the public and presumptive presidential nominees point toward increased development of domestic resources, including those located offshore.
This is good, but, with escalating energy costs and gasoline prices hovering around the $4 mark, it’s remarkable how some lawmakers still maintain a “this” or “that” attitude when it comes to addressing the nation’s energy challenges.
In the end, progress will require collaboration among government, industry and consumers, and all energy options should be on the table when discussing potential solutions.
Domestic fossil fuels, along with renewable and nuclear energy, will play an exceedingly large role in tomorrow’s energy landscape. According to the Census Bureau, our population will grow by 22 percent – an increase of more than 60 million people – over the next 25 years.
After 2015, easily accessible supplies of oil and natural gas will no longer keep up with demand. The issue then becomes about more than affordability – and shifts to availability and reliability. We cannot underestimate the importance of a balanced energy mix.
By the year 2100, renewable energy from solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and biofuels will make up an even larger share of the energy supply. Nuclear energy, too, will have a place.
Humans will continue to find ways to decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. New technologies will likely reduce the amount of energy needed to power buildings and vehicles.
However, we can’t ignore the short-term reality while pursuing long-term social shifts. Getting to that future will take time, time we must use to explore the responsible development of energy from all sources – conventional and alternative.
It’s not an either-or proposition. It’s a matter of pulling out all the stops and using all our combined resources and ingenuity to create an energy future – for the short, medium and long-term.
Throughout Colorado, many believe oil shale will play a significant role as part of a broad portfolio of U.S. energy solutions.
It’s understandable to have skeptics question the validity and viability of oil shale development. However, as with any new endeavor, such as launching the first shuttle into space, scientists and engineers don’t have all the answers.
If oil shale development were easy, it would have already been done. The careful, cautious approach being taken by the country’s largest oil and natural gas companies is the right one.
At the same time, it makes little sense to put additional obstacles in the way of potential oil shale development, such as the Congressional moratorium on finalizing commercial oil shale regulations.
These regulations, when final, will facilitate the thoughtful consideration of oil shale development, not a fire sale of western lands to energy companies. Any proposed commercial lease/sale of oil shale lands is years away at a minimum.
But having the regulations now is important for companies developing new technology to understand the basis in which commercial development would take place and thereby assess viability of potential projects.
Oil shale development, like development of the state’s other natural resources, will help create more jobs with competitive salaries, increase state revenues and play a major role in helping secure our nation’s energy future and diversify its energy mix.
At a time of historic high energy prices and ever-increasing energy demand, we owe it to ourselves to explore and encourage the viability of this promising and abundant domestic energy resource. We need a reliable fuel supply more than ever – and Colorado can take the lead in helping shape our domestic energy equation.
Chuck Berry is president of the Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry.
