Senate Republicans commended the governor today for supporting a federal decision to allow energy development on Colorado’s Roan Plateau, a vast natural gas resource that federal officials say could heat 4 million homes for 25 years.

Gov. Bill Ritter's move--urging "maximum economic benefit and minimum environmental impact" in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's development plan for the Roan--surprised observers after he spent months casting doubt on the federal plan.

While GOP senators say they will reserve judgment until they review details of the governor's written recommendations to the bureau, they welcomed his support for tapping the Roan's potential, and they noted it stands in contrast to the course taken by his fellow Democrats representing Colorado in Congress. U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar as well as U.S. Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar have attempted unsuccessfully to block development of the energy-rich Roan.

"When you strip away all the politics and all the partisan grandstanding that’s been going on in Washington, the governor finally came around to making the right call on the Roan and he deserves credit for it," said the GOP's Sen. Josh Penry, of Grand Junction.

"Western slope communities will benefit from more jobs and more money for our roads and bridges, and Colorado now has a chance to make a historic investment in our colleges and universities," Penry said. "This strikes a blow for American energy independence, and it’s a shot across the bow of those who have tried to make energy production a wedge campaign issue in Colorado.”

Republican Rep. Frank McNulty, a former state natural-resources official, said the governor's decision to stand aside and let energy development proceed on the Roan is an acknowledgment of the need to assure a stable, clean energy source that also drives the U.S. economy closer to energy independence.

"This isn't just about our state's economy but also about the economic security of the entire country," said McNulty, of Highlands Ranch. 

McNulty added, "Environmentally balanced production of the Roan Plateau is the right
thing to do for all of Colorado. On that point, Bill Ritter got it right and Ken Salazar and Mark Udall got it flat out wrong.  The governor was right to listen to common sense and not to the top brass in the Democratic Party."

Energy production on the Roan is projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in leasing fees, mineral royalties and energy taxes to state and local governments.

Penry's proposal would dedicate half of the revenue derived from natural gas production on the Roan to a permanent trust fund for Colorado's colleges and universities. He would dedicate the other half of the revenue to a trust fund for

energy-impacted communities, with the interest providing a secure revenue stream for West Slope roads and bridges in perpetuity.

While Republican Senators commended Ritter for supporting restricted production on the Roan, they cautioned that they wanted to review the details of his proposal to make sure that it wouldn't trigger more protracted reviews and analysis that push off leasing the Roan until after the next election.  Senators have been assured by the governor's staff that no such additional review and delay will be required.

GOP senators for months have expressed concern at the Ritter administration's perceived tilt against energy development. Republicans have pointed out energy exploration and production account for 6 percent of the state's economy--the largest economic sector in Colorado--according to a report by the Colorado School of Mines.