Your voice needs to be heard at the Colorado statehouse, in COGCC hearings, at county commission meetings, and in letters to your elected officials. Local and state regulators and leaders need to understand the value of your work and the value of this industry to our state.
 
Here are five things to remember when you are crafting your message. Together, we can help make sure the oil and natural gas industry thrives in Colorado for years to come.
  

1. Pride – Introduce yourself and state why you support the oil and natural gas industry. Describe what work you do within the industry, explain why that work is important, and why the industry matters to our communities, state, and nation. Always stay respectful and show your energy pride.
2. Health and Environment – Our air is cleaner today than it has been over the past 30 years. In fact, emissions from the oil and natural gas industry have decreased more than 50 percent, while production was going up. Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry has seen significant reductions of ozone-causing emissions in recent years because of technological innovation, regulatory initiatives, and leadership from within the industry. Since 2013, ambient methane concentrations from oil and gas have gone down 50 percent; ethane concentrations have gone down 65 percent; and total Volatile Organic Compounds here along the Front Range of Colorado are down 57 
   percent. Colorado’s nation-leading air regulations means we are improving our air quality, and regulations that require groundwater testing before and after drilling mean we are protecting our water. Numerous credible health studies confirm that this industry is protecting our environment.
3. Economic Impact – Our industry provides over 100,000 good paying direct and indirect jobs with an annual market value of $27.8 billion to our state. Since 2017, more than $260 million has gone back into communities throughout the state in Energy Impact Grants to pay for parks, recreation centers and library improvement. Colorado production matters beyond our borders. We are the 7th largest producer of natural gas and 4th largest producer of oil nationally. The U.S. is now the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, making our country energy secure for this first time in generations.
4. Community Investment – We value clean air, clean water, and the communities where we live and work. We volunteer and we give, not because it’s required, but because it matters. From 2017-2022, the industry and its employees donated more than $45 million to non-profits organizations and volunteered over 50,000 hours each year to Colorado-based organizations working to make a difference.
5. Safety – Over the past decade the rate of oil and natural gas incidents has  decreased by 41 percent , even though the industry’s workforce doubled in size within the same timeframe. Out of 86 measurable sectors of our economy, the oil and natural gas industry is the 7th safest in relation to the total number of recordable incidents producing injury. Safety is our top priority and the industry works hard every day to protect our workforce and the communities where we work and live.

 
For more helpful information, check out COGA’s additional resources.