Speaking in Denver, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said preliminary figures from a new report show that renewable energy has generated about 90,000 jobs directly and indirectly in Colorado.

Addressing attendees of the second annual Colorado New Energy Economy Conference, Ritter said that Jefferson County alone has about 500 renewable energy companies. The Governor cited the wind turbine maker Vestas‘ new turbine tower manufacturing plant, which, along with the company’s blade manufacturing plants in Windsor and Brighton, will provide about 2,500 good paying green collar jobs to the people of Colorado.

So how is Colorado doing it? Well, it’s not just because of the excellent solar and wind resource; and it certainly isn’t because we let the market sort it all out. The renewable energy industry has taken root here because the state has made it a priority and the people have embraced it. [Read more]

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter on Tuesday announced the first recipients of $10 million in grants under the “New Energy Communities Initiative.” Ritter said the 14 projects will stimulate economic growth, create new jobs, enhance sustainability and lead to more livable communities all across Colorado.

Gov. Ritter made the announcement Tuesday morning during a keynote address at the second annual New Energy Economy Conference at the Colorado Convention Center.

>>More on renewable energy in Colorado at ecopolitology

The initiative is a joint effort of Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Governor’s Energy Office. It is designed to maximize energy efficiency and conservation, enhance community livability, promote economic development, and address climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

[Read more]

Geologists estimate that there are 800 billion barrels of oil locked away in the shale rocks of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. But there are some serious obstacles to unlocking that oil, not the least of which are the formidable political forces that oppose oil shale development. If you want to learn more, there was an excellent story in this past Sunday’s Denver Post about the technological, economic, social, and ecological feasibility of developing oil shale in the western U.S. [Read more]

The sale of federal oil and gas leases on Colorado’s Roan Plateau netted a record $114 million today, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The sale of 31 parcels covering 55,186 acres atop and along side the Garfield County mesa in western Colorado generated the most revenue for a sale in the lower 48 states. The money will be split, with 51 percent going to the U.S. Treasury and 49 percent going to the state of Colorado.

[Read more]