What Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development does

Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It was created to educate the general public about the energy, economic, and environmental benefits of safe and responsible oil and natural gas development in the state. The organization serves Colorado residents by providing factual, science-based information about hydraulic fracturing (fracking), Colorado's regulatory framework, and the economic contributions of the oil and natural gas industry — including job creation, tax revenue for schools and infrastructure, and household energy savings. CRED positions itself as an independent voice distinguishing from national advocacy groups, emphasizing Colorado-specific regulatory achievements such as first-in-the-nation methane regulations enacted in 2014 and mandatory groundwater monitoring.

CRED does not develop or sell commercial products or services. Its core output is educational content delivered through a multi-channel distribution strategy: a topic-rich website (cred.org), dedicated content series including "Colorado Energy Stories" profiling real industry workers, a curated "Energy Studies & News" research repository aggregating scientific studies from institutions including EPA, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Colorado State University, and organic social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The organization has 1-10 employees per firmographic data and is governed by a board of directors.

The organization's business model is non-commercial: as a 501(c)(6) non-profit, CRED is funded through membership and contributions (specific financial backers are not publicly disclosed) and its mission is advocacy and education rather than revenue generation. It operates exclusively within Colorado with no stated geographic expansion plans. CRED has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no commercial product pipeline. Its strategic value lies in shaping public perception of the Colorado oil and natural gas industry rather than producing measurable financial returns.

Name

Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development

Legal name

Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development

Website

https://www.cred.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED) is a Denver-based 501(c)(6) non-profit that educates Colorado residents about the economic and environmental benefits of safe and responsible oil and natural gas development, including fracking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CRED is a 501(c)(6) non-profit education and advocacy organization that provides free, science-based public information about safe and responsible oil and natural gas development in Colorado. Its core offering consists of educational content covering hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes, Colorado's regulatory framework (including 2014 methane rules and mandatory groundwater monitoring), the economic impact of the energy industry on jobs, tax revenue, and schools, and employee spotlight storytelling (Colorado Energy Stories). Content is distributed through cred.org, social media channels, and earned media, with no commercial product or service sold.

Product overview

Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization that does not offer a commercial product or service. Instead, it serves as an educational and advocacy resource providing informational content about Colorado's oil and natural gas industry, including explanations of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology, its economic and environmental benefits, regulatory frameworks, and safety research. The organization publishes articles, studies, and informational resources through its website at cred.org, covering topics such as what fracking is, how it is regulated, its safety record, groundwater protection, methane emissions reduction, and its contributions to Colorado's economy and schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• What is Fracking? Educational Topic Page
• Is Fracking Regulated? Educational Topic Page
• Is Fracking Safe? Educational Topic Page
• Oil & Natural Gas Benefits Educational Topic Page
• Tackling Climate Change Educational Topic Page
• Reliable Affordable Energy Educational Topic Page
• Energy Studies & News Research Library
• Colorado Energy Stories Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 232,900 jobs supported by Colorado's oil and natural gas industry (2015)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Western Energy Alliance: Regional advocacy organization representing oil and gas operators in the western U.S., including Colorado; directly comparable as a regional industry advocacy and public-facing education group.
• Consumer Energy Alliance: Consumer-focused advocacy organization promoting affordable, reliable energy from oil and natural gas alongside renewables; directly comparable for its pro-industry public education and grassroots advocacy model.
• Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA): Colorado's primary oil and gas industry trade association; most directly comparable peer given shared Colorado-only geographic focus and overlapping mission to defend and explain responsible oil and gas development in the state.
• Energy In Depth: Industry-supported research and public education program focused on hydraulic fracturing facts and counter-messaging; directly comparable for its mission to push back on fracking misconceptions with science-based content.

Broad incumbents

• American Petroleum Institute (API): National oil and gas industry trade association running public-facing education, lobbying, and standards programs; comparable as the largest incumbent industry voice but operating at national rather than Colorado scale.
• Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA): National trade association representing independent U.S. oil and gas producers; broadly comparable as an industry advocacy organization with public messaging, though its scope is upstream-focused and national.
• American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC): National trade association for independent E&P companies; comparable for its industry advocacy and public engagement mission, though it operates at much broader national scale than CRED.

Others

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. industrial trade association that frequently advocates for oil and gas as part of a broader manufacturing and energy agenda; thematically related as an industry-aligned advocacy voice but not focused on Colorado energy education.

Regional players

• Coloradans for Clean Energy Action (formerly Coloradans for Renewable Energy Action): Colorado-based advocacy organization pushing back against oil and gas development; comparable as a Colorado-focused energy advocacy nonprofit with public education and policy engagement, though on the opposing side of the debate.
• New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA): State-level oil and gas trade association in the Permian-adjacent New Mexico market; highly comparable structurally as a state-level industry advocacy group but operating in a different state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CREDorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CREDorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CREDorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coloradans-for-responsible-energy-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development