Despite struggles among coal producers and oil and gas companies, Colorado’s energy sector as a whole remains strong, according to the seventh annual “Resource Rich Colorado” report from the Colorado Energy Coalition.

The coalition is an affiliate of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. The report was shared with the Denver Business Journal on Tuesday and will be posted to the EDC’s “Resource Rich Colorado” website.

“Colorado’s energy industry is a top-10 performer in about every category, it’s a unique story,” Scott Prestidge, who oversees the EDC’s efforts in the energy industry.

“When you think of the resources that are here and the talented workforce that’s here, our research and development resources and the universities, plus the collaboration and the reach across the political aisle when it comes to policy and business-to-business — one of the key takeaways is that amazing diversity in Colorado’s energy sector and that we’re a top performer in every category,” Prestidge said.

The sector’s strength and diversity, plus the seven-year track record that the report has under its belt, has allowed the EDC and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce to argue in favor of federal policies that will support both traditional fuel sources as well as the renewable sector, said Tom Clark, the EDC’s CEO.

“For us to see energy as an industry, and present it as an industry in the last several years particularly to the legislature, it’s taken a lot of emotional tension out of the discussions by providing factual data — which was one of our goals,” Clark said.

“The fight was always to steal one sides tax incentive for the other. Now it’s a balancing act, such as opening markets for us producers of oil but also giving certainty to the cleantech center with a long-term tax credits for wind and solar,” Clark said.

In August, the EDC and the Denver chamber joined with the Colorado Competitive Council, a business group, on a letter to the state’s congressional delegation asking its members to support lifting the decades-old ban on crude oil exports and also to extend the federal Production Tax Credit for wind power for several years.

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Phill Foster and Company, Denver, Colorado

http://www.phillfosterco.com/