March 09, 2010 10:43 PM UTC

Kumbaya, Natural Gas Edition?

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• by: Colorado Pols

A new deal worked out between Governor Bill Ritter and Xcel Energy is sure to complicate some GOP election-related talking points, and at the same time be a really great move economically and environmentally. The Grand Junction Sentinel reported over the weekend:

Gov. Bill Ritter announced a major piece of legislation Friday that would boost the use of natural gas in the state.

In an agreement worked out between Xcel Energy, environmentalists and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, the governor’s plan would be to convert by 2017 several coal-fired power plants on the Front Range to natural gas.

The measure, the details of which are being worked out, not only would create a new market for natural gas in the state, but it also would help clear the air around Front Range cities.

“This proposal will keep Colorado at the forefront of America’s energy revolution,” Ritter said. “It will protect consumers, clean our air and protect public health and create new jobs by increasing demand for Colorado-produced natural gas.”

Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said he has been involved in discussions about the proposal, but he hasn’t decided if his name will appear on the bill.

If the measure is drafted as he thinks it should be, he said it potentially could be a “game changer” for the Western Slope’s natural gas market…

Of course, Josh Penry being Josh Penry, he couldn’t resist the chance to take a gratuitous swipe, even while saying perhaps his most favorable things ever about a Bill Ritter energy plan:

“This is a real opportunity for the governor to restore some of what he’s done to natural gas,” the senator said, referring to stricter new state rules regulating the industry that Ritter pushed last year.

We, along with a growing number of reputable news sources, have deconstructed this tired canard enough times that we really don’t feel the need to do so again. And besides, Penry is actually making reasonable, conciliatory noises overall here–a practice that should be encouraged.

According to the Denver Post, coal producers in the state are upset about this deal, but the Sentinel correctly notes that the majority of coal mined in Colorado is already exported.

The overall effect of this deal, if successful, could be a considerably reduced opportunity to score cheap and duplicitous points off the ups and downs of the Western Slope’s natural gas industry like Penry’s above–by converting coal plants along the Front Range to natural gas, a major air pollution source is mitigated, and a large, stable market for natural gas is simultaneously created.

Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it? As much as we hate to admit it, giving politics a rest and doing the right thing can really be useful once in awhile.