The City of Greeley supports the responsible and balanced development of oil and gas. The City also recognizes that the State, through the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), has significant regulatory control and responsibilities for local drilling. This authority was clarified in 1992 when the City of Greeley lost a Colorado Supreme Court ruling (Voss
v. Lundvall Brothers, Inc., 830 P. 2d 1061) after seeking to prohibit oil and gas development within city limits. Generally, the State’s regulations control below-ground activity and the active drilling process (including hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking,
which is done during the completion of the well).
Many activities associated with drilling and producing can still be managed through City regulations. In April 2013,
the Greeley City Council and COGCC completed a Memorandum of Understanding, in which the State agreed to defer to the City on matters that harmonize and do not conflict with State rules.