Does Erik Aadland, running for Congress in the state's CD7 against Democrat Brittany Peterson, have the answers to the energy problems for Colorado and for the USA?

Aadland has some serious energy credentials.  Aadland drilled oil and natural gas wells in Colorado and Texas as a drilling engineer and worked as a procurement manager and business integration manager.  "My final position was as the onshore Project Manager for the Leviathan Project in Israel, where I oversaw the construction of a natural gas pipeline, condensate pipelines and a condensate gathering facility (approximately $300 mm in scope for a $5 bn project)," he said.

Also, in 2018, he helped defeat Proposition 112, which increased setbacks for oil and gas leases to inhibit hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

In 2019, Democrats took power and instituted what the voters had rejected.  It was a huge disappointment and a big deal in the state.  "It was extremely upsetting to me, after significant personal effort defeating Prop. 112, to see Polis and the legislature blatantly overturn the will of Coloradans to the great detriment of Colorado," said Aadland.  "Because of SB181, Colorado has lost between $10 and 20 billion every year into the Colorado economy.  It's devastating.  Though not the same scale of significance, it felt similar to the catastrophic disaster in Afghanistan (where I served in combat)."

National Review wrote, "SB19-181 was an open dismissal of the will of Colorado voters, who overwhelmingly voted to reject a similar regulatory measure in a 2018 ballot initiative.  The earlier attempt, Proposition 112, was pitched as a public-safety measure by environmentalist groups.  It was resoundingly defeated at the ballot box, with 57 percent of the electorate voting against it."

When asked how Coloradans can reverse what the Democrats did to Colorado energy, Aadland said, "SB 181 needs to be reversed at the level of the state legislature or challenged for constitutionality in the courts."  That will take new leaders in the Colorado House and Senate.

So Aadland is wise to the ways of politicians when it comes to energy, and he knows firsthand the cost of bad policy.  This would seem to indicate that he is well suited to work in Congress.

The Biden administration has gone to war on oil and gas since day one.  The effects have been disastrous and should be reversed.

A new study on energy, "The Cost of Biden's War on Oil and Gas: Nearly $100 Billion a Year in Lost Output," was published in October 2022.  The executive summary:

This study examines what has happened with oil and gas production when we adjust for the large increase in the world price since Biden entered office. We find that Biden's policies have shifted the energy supply curve such that we are producing less oil and gas at the range of current price levels tha[n] we would have with the Trump energy policies still in place.

The U.S. would be producing between 2 and 3 million more barrels of oil a day and between 20 and 25 more billion cubic feet of natural gas under the Trump policies. This translates into an economic loss — or tax on the American economy — of roughly $100 billion a year.

Aadland has spelled out his approach to energy on his website.  "The energy sector — including oil and natural gas, wind, and solar — is [one of] the most significant contributors to the Colorado [economy, employing] thousands of high paying jobs. ... When federal policies strangle domestic energy production, the impact of those limitations is reflected in the price of gasoline at the pump[.]"

As a Congressman, I will advocate for balanced energy policy that meets demands for a thriving economy, achieves energy independence by eliminating dependence on other countries (especially those antagonistic to us), and encourages innovation while protecting our environment. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) is in my district. I will support federal funding for NREL to explore more sustainable sources of energy like nuclear.

Erik Aadland seems to be one candidate for Congress who can help rebuild American energy policy.

C.S. Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image: Erik Aadland.