As mothers, we will celebrate our nation’s Independence Day this weekend like other families around the country, flipping burgers, gazing at fireworks and proudly wearing red, white and blue.
And as both mothers and professionals in the oil and natural gas industry, we will also proudly celebrate the American Energy Renaissance that is providing economic security to our families while freeing our country from the instability of global politics and regime changes overseas.
Energy produced in the United States provided nearly 90 percent of our country’s energy needs last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, largely thanks to advancements in drilling and fracking technology. As a result, America is the world’s number 1 oil and natural gas producer, surpassing both Russia and Saudi Arabia.
This reliable, affordable, abundant, and domestically produced energy is re-shaping our nation’s energy security and influence throughout the world. Less reliance on energy imports enables the U.S. to engage the international community from a position of strength, which provides leverage in world affairs. President Obama’s former National Security Advisor, Tom Donilon, put this into perspective recently, saying U.S.-led sanctions against Iran looked bleak until our country increased our energy supplies, giving us the latitude to support our allies.
At home, energy security means more jobs and increased funding for our local schools and public services. It also means lower fuel prices and annual savings of about $800 per household because of low-cost natural gas. In fact, Coloradans pay 23 percent less for energy than the national average.
All of this is great news that is only possible because fracking is being done safely and responsibly.
Colorado’s stringent environmental regulations ensure this is the case, having been hailed as a model for the nation. We were the first state to pass groundbreaking methane regulations and the first to require water sampling both before and after drilling. We were also the first state to require companies openly share all chemicals – and their concentrations – in fracking fluid with the public.
Just last month, after a multi-year comprehensive review, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that fracking has “no evidence of widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water.” The few cases of impacted groundwater – which the EPA noted were small compared to the number of hydraulically fractured wells – were primarily due to improper well construction, which is preventable.
Advancements in fracking technology and horizontal drilling also means Colorado is cutting carbon emissions while producing more energy with less disturbance. Well sites are 30 percent smaller and produce 60 times more energy. And when drilling is finished, companies restore land to pre-drilling conditions so Coloradans can continue to enjoy the outdoors.
The global environment is benefitting as well. The U.S. was the only major economy in the world to see its carbon footprint decrease last year. Thanks to fracking and the increased use of natural gas, U.S. carbon emissions are currently at levels not seen since the mid-1990s.
It is this responsible way of producing American oil and natural gas that strengthens our energy independence, supports Colorado’s economy with 110,000 jobs and nearly $30 billion in economic activity and secures opportunities for our children to succeed at home and avoid future conflicts abroad.
So fill your car with cheaper gas to drive to the fireworks show this weekend, light up the grill with propane priced at a 13-year low, or use one of the thousands of products that get their start from oil and natural gas. And take time to reflect on the importance of preserving our nation’s emerging energy independence.
Julie Tannehill, a mother of two, is a production engineering supervisor at Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in Denver. Melissa Pantano, a mother of twins, is a senior well operations systems analyst at Noble Energy in Denver.
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