Former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth delivered a testy message to Colorado natural-gas leaders Thursday, telling them the industry has not done enough to promote itself to Congress and the public.
The Democrat spoke at the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s annual Energy Epicenter convention to promote the fuel, which he said could unite environmental and industry interests around a cleaner-burning source of energy than coal or oil.
Instead, Wirth, now president of the United Nations Foundation, said the coal industry has outlobbied the natural-gas industry.
“They are winning,” he said. “You are not. Why not?”
Representing a bipartisan group called the Energy Coalition, Wirth encouraged the audience to make friends with traditional adversaries, arguing that certain emissions and extraction legislation would benefit gas companies. The industry should support the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over drilling techniques, he said.
COGA president Tisha Conoly Schuller disputed Wirth’s contention of past divisions within the natural-gas industry but agreed that producers need more political clout.
“I think we’re an industry ready to bring our product to the forefront, and that means having unconventional allies,” she said.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah in an earlier speech also said natural gas has not played as big a role in the “New Energy Economy” as it should. He criticized the Democratic Congress for hindering domestic oil and gas production with climate legislation.
“Too often, artificial policy constraints are standing in the way of the vast resources of the Rocky Mountain energy corridor,” Hatch said.
Like Wirth, Hatch said Congress should encourage natural-gas use in transportation as well as electricity generation.
The speeches drew mixed reactions from the crowd of geologists, engineers and executives representing oil and gas companies.
Several members of the natural-gas industry pointed to America’s Natural Gas Alliance, which was formed last year, as a sign of the industry’s new direction.
Geologist Gary Nydegger said he was skeptical of Wirth’s contention that natural-gas demand is the problem. The industry’s main focus, he said, should be on educating lawmakers, who could make more informed decisions that benefit the natural-gas industry if they had better information.
“They love having people who are knowledgeable,” Nydegger said.
Drew FitzGerald: 303-954-1381 or dfitzgerald@denverpost.com
