Governor John Hickenlooper outlined his vision for a path to cleaner, more efficient forms and systems of energy at the University of Colorado Law School on November 12.
In the 8th annual John H. and Cynthia H. Schultz Lecture, Hickenlooper discussed his views on energy development in the state and challenges facing a sustainable energy solution due to the growing rate of global energy consumption—set to rise more than 56 percent by 2040. The bottom line: We need a “miracle solution,” and it needs to be more affordable, more reliable, more effective, and cleaner than today’s energy, he said.
"We need a new energy system that has three basic components: It should be cheaper and more efficient than today's hydrocarbon sources. It should have limited or no carbon emissions. And it should be reliable as today's energy system," Hickenlooper said. "Sounds relatively simple, right? Actually, it would be a miracle to have that ... but it's a miracle that we're going to create."
Dramatic developments credited as miracles have occurred before, he said, such as the creation of kerosene as a substitute for whale oil in the 1800s, which in turn revolutionized the energy system.
Underscoring the impact of state and federal collaboration, he referenced Colorado’s partnership with energy producers and the Environmental Defense Fund to create—and pass—the first state limits on methane emissions from oil and gas operations in 2014.
"It's daunting when you look at what we're up against: accelerating energy demand globally, antiquated infrastructure and the long periods of time it takes to scale promising but in most cases unproven technologies to a global market—not to mention a little thing like climate change," he said.
Every potential solution presents new and unique challenges; however, each challenge is an opportunity to innovate. To drive that innovation and discover the ‘miracle solution,’ the governor advocated greater investments in research and development.
“We’re already seeing amazing progress being made on new technologies around energy development,” he said. “I think that miracle is . . . something that people are in some garage, or some basement, just now thinking of.”
Drawing on his experiences as a businessperson and public servant, Hickenlooper called on the public and private sectors to work together to create and build new technologies while anticipating how to leverage market forces.
“One thing that the government does very, very well is research and development. The private sector, in turn, really has to lead the creation and development of new technology that comes out of research. That way, it can be scaled rapidly not just throughout the U.S. but throughout all countries throughout the world,” he said.
He ended on an optimistic note: “We’ve innovated our way to the moon and beyond,” he said. “I am confident that we’re going to be able to meet the energy challenges, but only if we can keep that focus on meeting each threat as an opportunity, to encourage and support our collective ingenuity, and to make sure that we harness those efforts that really encourage public/private collaboration.”
The lecture was hosted by the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment. The Center’s mission is to serve the people of the American West, the nation, and the world through creative interdisciplinary research; bold, inclusive teaching; and innovative problem-solving in order to further true sustainability for our lands, waters, and environment.
The Schultz Lectureship Series on oil and gas, energy, and natural resources provides valuable information to policymakers, practitioners, business executives, and the academic community on emerging issues in the field. The lectureship fund was made possible by the generosity of John H. (’53) and Cynthia H. Schultz.
Past speakers have included Jim Burke, president of NGL Energy Partners; Tony Clark, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jeff Bingaman, former United States Senator from New Mexico; and Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, former Under Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Watch a recording of the lecture here.