In a public debate on how much use and emphasis there should be on drilling and in particular the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper last week called natural gas the best transition for his state eventually to move to more reliance on efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Hickenlooper was pitted against Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones in a much-promoted debate at the University of Denver Law School.

Some in the audience shouted him down on a couple of occasions, but Hickenlooper reiterated his often-made claim that Colorado has the “most comprehensive rules in the United States” related to oil and gas operations, including fracking practices used in horizontal drilling. Jones represents a county in which earlier this year elected officials extended for four months a drilling permit moratorium to June 10, noting they needed more time to hammer out local rules covering the activity over which the state claims to have exclusive jurisdiction.

The production of natural gas has soared in the state over the last decade, according to Energy Information Administration data and NGI calculations. Colorado had 16,718 natural gas and gas condensate wells in operation in 2004 producing 1,090 Bcf. During 2011, the last year that full data was available, the state had 30,101 wells producing 1,649 Bcf.

Jones said she and Hickenlooper normally have been on the same side on issues, but when it comes to unconventional drilling, “it is imperative that we get this right, and frankly there is still a lot of work to do.” The governor in his remarks emphasized that a lot of the regulatory work already has been done, including a 2011 law requiring a process to disclose fracking chemicals.

The state has added other protections over the past three years, including a set of best practices for oil/gas operators, and Hickenlooper said “natural gas is the best ideal transition fuel for [his state and nation’s] economy.” He cited increased use of gas in transportation as an example.

Jones argued for stronger statewide protection, but only as what she called “a floor — not a ceiling,” from which local governments could and should write more stringent regulations. “Local governments should not have to bring lawsuits to get stricter protections for local schools, hospitals and homes,” she said. “We need to proceed with caution [on fracking] and not just frack first and ask questions afterward.”

While agreeing with some positive moves by the state, Jones argued against too much reliance on natural gas and not enough on renewables as the principal replacement for coal-fired electric generation. While Hickenlooper defended a “more balanced approach” in the near term, Jones argued that there were climate change implications with all of the unquantified leaks of methane from increasing reliance on gas being transported throughout the state and nation.

With more coal-to-gas switching in the power sector in Colorado, Hickenlooper said there are reductions of 70%-80% in sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. “People still vastly prefer renewables as the way to replace coal,” said Jones, adding that there is no accounting for the amounts of methane being leaked into the atmosphere. “We need a policy of zero-tolerance for methane leaks.”

©Copyright 2013Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.