RBC I Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO) issued the following statement in response to Thursday’s announcement by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) that the Mancos Shale deposit in the Piceance Basin has the potential to be the second largest natural gas deposit in the United States.
According to the USGS, the undiscovered technically recoverable resources in the Mancos deposit include a mean estimate of 66 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, up from 2002-2003 estimates of 1.6 trillion cubic feet.
“The potential of this find for Western Colorado’s economy and for our national energy security is tremendous,” Tipton said. “Utilizing this resource can become a reality by getting commonsense projects like the Jordan Cove pipeline off the ground, increasing U.S. natural gas exports and establishing a true all-of-the-above domestic energy policy through responsible production.
“This is an incredible opportunity to create jobs and economic growth in one of the regions hit hardest by the economic downturn. In order to capitalize on it, it’s imperative that our nation’s elected representatives work to advance a responsible all-of-the-above energy policy that embraces both renewable energy technologies and traditional resources—including natural gas and coal.”
“Merely paying lip service to it, as Congressional Democrats and the administration continue to do, won’t get the job done and will continue to squander opportunities for economic growth,” he said.
Tipton is working with his colleagues in the Colorado, Wyoming and Utah delegations to pressure the administration to allow the Jordan Cove Pipeline to move forward.
Once completed, the pipeline could transport natural gas produced in Western Colorado and other states to the West Coast for export.
Tipton has also introduced The Planning for American Energy Act (H.R. 459), which would establish a true all-of-the-above domestic energy plan, and has voted to remove hurdles to increased exports of American natural gas.
