Driving Force Radio: The New Energy Economy

This week’s guest is former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, who now serves as the director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. We talk to Governor Ritter about the center’s current projects, how they are supporting the growth of a clean energy economy across the United States, as well as Clean energy’s role in the economic recovery.

The Center For The New Energy Economy

The Center for the New Energy Economy will provide policy makers, governors, planners and other decision makers with a road map that will accelerate the nationwide development of a New Energy Economy.

Governor Bill Ritter

Bill Ritter, was elected as Colorado’s 41st governor in 2006 - the first Colorado-born governor in more than 35 years. He quickly established Colorado as a national and international leader in clean energy by creating a New Energy Economy and tripling the state’s renewable energy portfolio. In a state with substantial fossil energy as well as renewable energy resources, Gov. Ritter created policies that balanced energy production with protection of air, land, water, wildlife and communities. Gov. Ritter also worked on creating a 21st Century transportation system in Colorado.

In Gov. Ritter’s four years as Governor, he built the New Energy Economy that created thousands of new jobs and established hundreds of new companies; enacted an aggressive business-development and job-creation agenda that was focused on knowledge-based industries of the future, such as energy, aerospace, biosciences, information technology and tourism; initiated sweeping K-12 education reforms to give Colorado children the skills and knowledge they need to compete and succeed in a 21st century global economy; and, improved access to quality and affordable health care for many of the 800,000 Coloradans who lack health coverage.

Gov. Ritter earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado State University (1978) and his law degree from the University of Colorado (1981). Ritter served as Denver\'s District Attorney from 1993 to January 2005. He earned a national reputation as one of the country\'s most effective and innovative prosecutors, and several of his programs continue to serve as state and national models.

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