Democratic Rep. Jared Polis has accepted an offer from Colorado Oil and Gas CEO Tisha Schuller to publicly debate fracking and energy development across the state.
Following the Representative’s public criticism of COGA’s latest litigation against recent voter-approved hydraulic fracturing measures in his district, Schuller invited the congressman to “a series of public debates [.pdf] regarding Colorado’s energy future.”
Schuller was confident in the statement that common ground could be found on energy development in the state.
The date and number of debates hasn’t been decided on yet. The event marks just how high profile the row over fracking has become along Colorado’s Front Range.
Polis’ 2nd Congressional District also includes Longmont, which is engaged in a lawsuit with COGA and the state of Colorado after voters approved a fracking ban in 2012. The industry itself, despite the lawsuits, is working toward greater outreach to the public over energy development in Colorado. Polis has noted that work, but conversely said in his previous response to the litigation that "you don’t win friends by suing people.”
