When it comes to energy production, Colorado politicians haven’t killed the golden goose yet. In fact, despite years of attacks, Colorado remains one of the top energy-producing states in the nation, and punches above its weight in oil-and-natural-gas extraction.

The warnings of critics that energy production can’t be balanced with environmental considerations have not come to pass. Indeed, our energy success hasn’t come at the cost of our breathtaking national parks and Rocky Mountain views. Our state shows there’s no contradiction between producing energy and still taking good care of the environment.

No wonder the price of gas in Colorado, though still high, is a good 10 cents below the national average. No wonder 93.3 million tourists came to Colorado in 2023, most of them to hike, camp and take in our majestic ecology.

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Yet, some state politicians are taking cues from out-of-state politicians determined to interfere and throw a monkey wrench in Colorado’s energy industry.

Let’s start with Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat senator from Rhode Island. Whitehouse recently gave an interview accusing the White House of emitting “climate disinformation” — and he called on individual state legislatures to intervene.

Whitehouse’s remarks are part of a broader strategy. As Democrats dust themselves off after the 2024 election, they plan to use whatever powers they have to attack the White House’s pro-energy initiatives — initiatives poised to lower Colorado’s energy costs. That includes, as Whitehouse said, using state legislatures to override as much of it as they can.

Unfortunately, members of the Colorado legislature are listening. For example, state Rep. Junie Joseph recently proposed a bill, HB 25-1277, which would force all Colorado gas pumps to include a 24-point font warning label about how their product “harms the global climate,” or else face up to a $20,000 fine. That’s just one example of how local legislators are trying to come up with creative new ways to stifle energy production, in response to calls from Washington officials like Sheldon Whitehouse.

Though attacking energy might make some politicians and regulators feel more virtuous, when attacks turn into actual laws, they impose very real costs on Coloradans.

The most obvious example is gas prices — less domestic oil extraction means less of our supply on the global market, which makes America more dependent on foreign oil, which in turn drives up the price at the pump.

In June 2022, Colorado’s average gas price peaked at $4.92 per gallon. As of March 2025, it has decreased to approximately $3.012 per gallon, a drop of about $1.91. Why would we want to reverse that relief at a time of lingering inflation?

Also standing to lose from Democrats’ attacks are the approximately 69% of homes that use natural gas for space heating. That natural gas is extracted by the same fracking companies Democrats target, which could drive up heating prices.

Jobs could also be on the line. The oil-and-gas industry supports 10.3 million American jobs or about 8% of our nation’s gross domestic product. It’s not greedy executives who stand to lose from the Democrats’ anti-oil crusade; it’s truck drivers, oil rig workers, gas station managers and drill well manufacturers. More than 60% of retail stations in the U.S. are owned by individuals or families who own a single store. These are not the type of people anyone should want to impose burdensome new mandates on or hurl hefty fines at — not by a long shot.

Here in Colorado, we understand this better than anyone: tens of thousands of Coloradans work in fossil fuels and many more in the energy sector broadly. We account for about 4% of the nation’s oil despite having only 1.75% of its population. And we do it all while protecting our stunning natural beauty.

This is the dirty little secret anti-energy politicians don’t want you to know: we really can have both domestic energy and a clean environment. The fracking revolution and the switch to natural gas has already sent U.S. greenhouse emissions plummeting. But none of that matters to the politicians who spend their time emitting plenty of hot air themselves.

Colorado’s elected officials should keep pushing for American energy — and ignore those who would make our everyday lives more expensive.

William E. Trachman is general counsel of Mountain States Legal Foundation and a former deputy assistant secretary in the first Trump administration.