Petroleum-industry group leaders, Colorado governor discuss future

A recent luncheon event in Denver brought American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Jack Gerard and Colorado Petroleum Council (CPC) Executive Director Tracee Bentley together with Gov. John Hickenlooper to discuss what the future holds for the state's oil and natural gas industry.

“Coloradans understand that the oil and natural gas industry can provide well-paying jobs and remain a significant driver of economic activity and important source of government revenue,” Gerard said. “API has a history of working closely with local government leaders and regulators to share technical expertise for safe and reliable development of affordable domestic energy for Americans. One of our chief goals is to foster broad bipartisan dialogue and support for all-of-the-above, pro-energy policies.”

The CPC is a division of API, which boasts more than 650 members who support 9.8 million jobs throughout the country. In Colorado, the oil and natural gas industry makes up 9.1 percent of the state’s total economic output, representing $25.8 billion annually.

“Colorado is leading the way as part of our nation’s energy renaissance that has helped to make America the number one oil and gas producer in the world and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources,” Bentley said. “We can work together to take full advantage of the opportunities throughout the state to create jobs and bolster the economy for decades to come.”