It is no secret that Colorado is blessed with vast natural resources. And it is no secret that they benefit our state and its people. The extraction of our coal, oil and natural gas resources provides billions in economic value to our state economy, and supports tens of thousands of jobs. Our extractive industries are a big reason for the rebound of our economy after the recession. But we could be doing so much more to reap the benefit of our energy resources. Colorado needs to do a better job attracting large-scale manufacturing projects thanks to America’s newfound oil and natural gas resources. Last week I noticed a new item about the opening of a Koch Industries fertilizer plant in Enid, Okla. It is the company’s largest investment ever, with a price tag of $1.3 billion. The company employs more than 60,000 people nationwide and is a leader in safety and sustainability. This is the type of development we should be working to attract to Colorado, not just corporate HQs and white-collar jobs. Big projects, like the Koch Industries plant, would help us squeeze even more economic value out of every barrel of oil and every cubic foot of natural gas that we produce. It would also be a boon for local farmers. Colorado has the energy, the talent, the transportation network and the environment to host this kind of development. I, for one, hope that here in Colorado we can focus on ways to continue to expand and grow our energy industry to help create jobs and boost similar industries like agriculture and transportation.
Brad Milligin
Lewis