By Carly West

Colorado is at an inflection point on energy. As the state enters its 150th year, decisions about how energy is produced, delivered and regulated are becoming more immediate — and more consequential — for communities across the state.

Demand for energy in Colorado continues to grow, and oil and natural gas remain central to meeting that demand. Population growth, electrification, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies are all increasing energy needs, while expectations around affordability and reliability continue to rise. How Colorado navigates those pressures will help shape the state’s economic competitiveness and day-to-day costs for families and businesses alike.

Meeting demand takes more than setting goals. It requires infrastructure that can be planned, permitted and built on realistic timelines, along with regulatory frameworks that are workable in practice and aligned with real-world conditions. When regulations lose sight of how energy is actually produced and delivered, the consequences can show up quickly through higher costs, reduced reliability and fewer options for the communities that depend on it every day.

Colorado’s experience during the past decade offers an important perspective. The oil and natural gas industry has operated through significant regulatory change, adapting to evolving requirements while continuing to supply the energy Coloradans rely on. That experience has shown how deeply practical, workable and long-term thinking matters, not just in Colorado, but as leaders nationwide look ahead to the next phase of energy demand.

That work has delivered measurable results. According to data released by the state in December 2025, Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry is on track to surpass the statutory 60% emissions reduction target by 2030.

A separate analysis released in December by the Environmental Defense Fund found methane emissions from Colorado’s oil and natural gas sector fell by nearly 70% between 2010 and 2017, even as production increased. Those outcomes reflect years of investment, operational changes and policies implemented in practice across the industry.

As the legislative session begins in 2026, energy will once again be part of ongoing conversations about affordability, competitiveness and planning in Colorado. As demand grows, the focus should be on building on recent progress while making infrastructure decisions that position the state for the long term.

The question facing Colorado is not whether the energy landscape will continue to evolve; it already is. The more important question is how that evolution is managed, at a pace and scale where energy is reliable and affordable as expectations continue to rise.

Colorado’s oil-and-gas industry will remain central to meeting those needs, just as it has been nationally. The experience here reflects years of adapting to change, investing for the future, and delivering measurable results. Together, those lessons offer a clear reminder meeting the next era of energy demand will require practical, workable approaches and long-term thinking, and that lesson matters well beyond Colorado

Carly West is executive director of API Colorado.