DENVER | Republican candidate for Colorado governor Walker Stapleton warned on Wednesday that Democrats want to impose job-killing restrictions on oil and gas development.
His opponent, Democrat Jared Polis, said energy is vital to Colorado’s economy but the state must address ongoing conflicts between the industry and neighborhoods.
Stapleton and Polis made their pitches to the Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s annual Energy Summit on Wednesday.
Both claimed they oppose a ballot initiative that would increase the minimum distance between new wells and occupied buildings to 2,500 feet. The current minimum is 500 feet.
Stapleton said the state can have both a clean environment and a thriving fossil fuel industry. Polis argued that Colorado should respect the industry’s economic contribution but that it can do more to protect public health and safety.
