Somewhere between keep-it-in-the-ground and drill-baby-drill

Previously published in the Denver Post. Re: “November will determine oil and gas policy direction,” Sept. 6 news story.

I’m one of the 68% of Colorado voters who think natural gas and oil will continue to be used for 20 years. I also think we need clean air, clean water, and a climate that supports a prosperous future for other vital industries like agriculture, outdoor recreation, and construction.

I want my leaders focused on clean energy dominance. I want a coherent plan for a managed transition in Colorado. That means we need to significantly reduce either the use of fossil fuels or the greenhouse gas emissions they produce.

Congress should fix the market flaw that allows fossil fuel companies to freely pollute our atmosphere. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 763) is a simple, yet powerful, policy to shift market incentives toward lower-emission energy — without bans or caps or big, expensive government programs.

The article implied that we have a binary choice: vote for one party and ban fossil fuels or vote for the other party and accept runaway warming. I reject the premise. We should all want to export our innovative technology rather than our pollution. We should all want America to be clean energy dominant. We can create the market signals to achieve that. Ask Congress to pass HR763.