This week in our Wednesday show, we talk to Jack Hamlin, the former President of Summit Engineering Services, which was acquired by Sargent & Lundy in March.  Jack is also the co-founder of Energy Strong, a grass roots energy advocacy group dedicated to educating the public about the benefits and safety of oil and gas development to the citizens and municipalities starting in Colorado and expanding it to other oil producing states.

As we have recently seen, the sweeping power of the new and the overwhelming support for measures that are effectively causing oil and gas development and investment to leave the state, grass roots involvement is key. On September 17, the commission will hear testimony on additional proposed rule changes to air quality and we encourage industry to participate. Information on how to participate and talking points can be found on the Energy Strong website.

#hottakeoftheday Episode 67 w/Jack Hamlin #ENERGYSTRONG

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Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC)

Senate Bill 19-181 Rulemaking Calendar

Air Quality Control Commission

Colorado Air Quality Hearings – Sept. 17 & 18

• September 17 & 18 meeting registration

 SIGN UP TODAY! LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Jack’s Testimony before the COGCC

I am representing Energy Strong and myself – a front range citizen in this discussion, which is essentially extremist Boulder politicians vs the entire state.

3 basic themes my comments will cover

1. Fossil Fuels are extremely safe and have made our lives better than at any time in human history, despite anecdotal claims to the contrary.
2. There is a massive Health and Safety risk of transitioning away from Fossil Fuels – which are reliable – for renewables, which are intermittent.
3. Economic risk SB-181 poses.

I love Colorado. I’ve been here my whole life, and despite our population growing exponentially, the air and water are cleaner today than they were in 1978 the year I was born. Overall, besides urban sprawl, the state is in better shape than ever before (in terms of environment) Colorado has been producing oil for over 100 years and has some of the lowest overall cancer rates and the best qualities of life in the nation.

I get that people wish the world had a static climate, but it never has, and it never will – the truth is that everyone on this call uses oil and natural gas because it makes their lives better and protects us all from Colorado’s natural climate, which has always been a dangerous place to live. Extreme weather, blizzards, fires, droughts. Fossil Fuels allow us to thrive here with tremendous confidence – from turning on a switch to heat/cool our homes, to bringing us clean drinking water. Colorado is blessed to have the outstanding local talent and abundance of natural resources and has become the GOLD STANDARD for safe and environmentally friendly O&G production. We do it better than anyone in the world. I am an advocate for exporting our model of Oil & Gas production, transmission and refining globally, not banning it. In contrast, a handful of fringe Boulder politicians want to force the entire state to mirror California’s failed energy policies, under the guise of public health and safety.

By essentially copying California’s energy policies in Colorado, this commission will be complicit in:

1. Creating higher Energy Prices resulting in energy poverty
2. Intermittent electric service that cannot meet demand
3. Hampering economic growth
4. Leaving mountains of debt – Colorado is currently sitting at a $3.3 Billion budget shortfall All of these things create health/safety risks that are not being quantified in this discussion.

California’s current Blackouts and fiscal despair are a prelude to these unsustainable pursuits.

• Because of misguided over-regulation and mandates, they now IMPORT 60% of their oil from places like the middle east. They still use oil, just not American oil. Effectively outsourcing their emissions.
• More than a million Californians suffered power blackouts last Friday evening when they needed it the most.
• The California grid is the worst in the nation.
• California has 5 of the worst 10 cities in the country for air quality .

This is what will become of Colorado if we let Boulder politicians dictate our energy future. To Elise Jones’ (Boulder Country Commissioner) point about pollution not obeying Zip codes and county lines, a study was published last month by the University of Michigan that found that people living in Boulder county create more pollution from their homes than anywhere else in the United States. Pollution isn’t blowing into Boulder, they are generating it themselves then villainizing others.

We can all fear monger to the point where our children are terrified to leave their homes, but I’ll tell you what concerns me – I’m concerned that when it’s 100 degrees or there’s a blizzard outside, I won’t have access to reliable electricity and energy when I need it the most– much like California.

We have the engineers, scientists and environmentalists in Colorado to continue to solve these problems – let’s put them to work and not let a few fringe politicians dictate our state’s energy future.

About Jack

Jack Hamlin was an owner of Summit Engineering Services, Inc. (a Denver-based firm which sold to Sargent & Lundy Q2-2020), and is now VP of Sargent & Lundy’s Energy & Industrial group (Oil & Gas division).

Experience includes over 19 years of business management experience, 13 years of oil & gas experience, with responsibility for day-to-day operations; including providing visionary and strategic leadership for the organization, including oversight of operational health and client satisfaction for the firm.  Focus areas include up, mid and downstream oil & gas infrastructure in the DJ, Eagle Ford, Powder River, Piceance, Uinta Delaware and Permian Basins.

Currently the VP of Energy Strong and an active member of the Board of Directors – Rocky Mountain Pipeliners Association.