A few things have happened since the original publication of this article in 2014. After a downturn in 2015, gas production had picked back up with new projects statewide, a fracking boom in Colorado’s Front Range, and Colorado drilling up 70% in just 2018. As the area north of Denver looks onward to its population doubling by 2050, residents are still largely at odds over the contrast of economic benefits and concerns for safety and the environment.
Since 2007 there has been a natural gas boom in Colorado and especially the greater Denver area. This also includes Boulder and other surrounding areas. Here are some quick facts about natural gas in Coloardo:
Much of the boom has been due to hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” According to Encana, fracking is “a controlled operation that pumps water, sand and additives (fracturing fluids) into the wellbore and down the casing/tubing under high pressure; as the mixture is forced out through perforations in the wellbore into the surrounding shale rock, the pressure causes the shale to fracture, allowing the natural gas to flow into the reservoirs.”
While the industry, and certainly the need, for natural gas has been growing, so has the knowledge level and understanding of the general public. There are many in the public, and private, sectors that are not so willing to give fracking the green light. Many areas in Colorado and Denver especially are currently debating over the allowance of fracking. In a nutshell, here are some of the arguments for and against:
While these do not seem to be as tangible as the Pros, it is the ever-present feeling of the unknown that has people worried, and rightly so. Although fracking has been done in the US for quite some time, there are still a number of potential hazards that could eventually cancel out the benefits.
Natural gas does not have to be an all or nothing venture. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) states that “natural gas and renewable energy each contribute to economic growth, energy independence, and carbon mitigation, sometimes independently and sometimes together. New technologies, policies, and practices are emerging that may allow businesses to consider these energy sources as more ‘bankable’ partners.
Natural gas and renewables can be key elements of system-level solutions that stand to transform the national energy landscape. Much of the current discourse considers renewables and natural gas in isolation or concentrates on the competitive impacts of one on the other.
Sam's Hauling cares greatly about clean air, clean water, and and a pristine Colorado for everyone to enjoy as well as a vibrant economy, cooking food, and staying warm and believe both are achievable. This article is no indication of how Sam's Hauling feels or supports, protests; it is for information purposes only on the state of natural gas production in and around the Greater Denver Area.
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