State Dem, GOP lawmakers spar again over energy

In a sign of how dominant the national energy debate is in politics this year – even in local elections – Democratic state lawmakers today held a news conference urging Congress to adopt a “balanced” energy policy and avoid “drilling-only” solutions.

“Americans really want and are craving a balanced energy policy,” said outgoing House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder. “They want a policy that will wean us off foreign oil.”

Madden, along with Rep. Judy Solano, a Brighton Democrat and one of the most vocal renewable energy supporters at the Capitol, said the nation and the state must work to increase use of wind and solar power while continuing to drill responsibly for oil and natural gas.

They said the country should not look at additional drilling in Alaska or offshore as quick fixes to high energy prices or as a long-term energy strategy.

“We can’t just keep using our natural gas and oil,” Solano said. “We need to use our wind. We need to use our solar. … Drill, drill, drill is not the solution.”

State Republican lawmakers, who have made energy a major selling point in their campaign to gain ground on Democrats in the statehouse, quickly shot back, saying that Democrats are blocking solutions that will drive down consumer energy costs.

“Judy Solano and the Democrats’ idea of a balanced energy policy is like a one-sided teeter-totter,” said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma. “They’re saying no to common sense energy.”

“The Democrats’ idea of a balanced energy policy is to oppose off shore development (unless you’re up for election), stand in the way of nuclear power, refuse oil shale development, and block clean coal,” Gardner wrote in a follow-up e-mail. “They’d rather have an energy policy that dictates how people live, what temperature you heat or cool your home to, and what size of car the family is driving. Working families need energy relief, not government controls on your light switch.”

Gardner and the Republicans are pushing for the state to aid in harvesting more of Colorado’s natural gas and to look at adding nuclear and more hydroelectric power generation to the mix. Gardner said Republicans support renewable energy, but only to the extent that it is competitive in cost.

“A balanced energy policy means more than just talking about renewables,” Gardner said. “Balance means we look at all ways we can reduce energy costs for Coloradans.”

The Democrats, however, argued that renewable energy is becoming more affordable when compared to fossil fuels. Madden said nuclear power and extracting fuel from oil shale would both consume far too much water to be practical in Colorado.

Keith Hay, an energy advocate with Environment Colorado who spoke at the Democrats’ news conference, said lawmakers should be forward-thinking in their policies.

“What we need to do today is invest in a responsible energy plan, tapping our wind and our solar,” Hay said. “Colorado would become a net exporter of these clean, green electrons to the rest of the country.”

Since the legislature adjourned in May, both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers have been talking extensively about energy policy, coinciding with the rise in gasoline prices and the emergence of the issue on the national stage. Candidates and independent groups have sent out mailers and aired television ads either attacking or praising lawmakers for their energy positions.

Whether the nuances of the debate are surviving the cacophony of the campaigning remains to be seen. But the issue is already shaping up as the defining battle of the 2009 legislative session, when Republicans have pledged to introduce a large package of energy-related bills.

Bookmark/Search this post with: