OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, FEB. 17, 2009

TEXT OF GOV. RITTER'S REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BILL-SIGNING CEREMONY

Here are the remarks of Gov. Bill Ritter as prepared for President Obama's signing ceremony of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science:

Good afternoon. I'm Bill Ritter, Governor of the great state of Colorado.

It's my distinct honor and privilege to welcome the President and the Vice President of the United States to Denver, Colorado, for this historic bill-signing.

Two months ago, I joined governors from all across America at a meeting in Philadelphia with then-President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden. They wanted to hear from us about how the economy was hurting people in our states ... how families were struggling, how children had been impacted by the downturn.

For governors, this was really encouraging -- new leaders solving problems by building new partnerships and coming up with new solutions.

They asked, they listened, and they included our ideas for short-term job-creation and long-term economic growth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Mr. President, thank you.

Thank you for the millions of jobs that will be created by investing in transportation, energy, and other infrastructure projects.
 
Thank you for investing in vital safety-net services like health care and unemployment insurance.

Thank you for investing in education, research and innovation.

And thank you for believing in the promise of Colorado to help lead our nation forward.

There's no better place for this signing ceremony than right here in Colorado — home of the New Energy Economy.

Two years ago, Colorado started building a New Energy Economy — creating new jobs, building new wind farms in wheat fields, and making our universities research leaders in renewable and alternative energy.

The New Energy Economy is very much about creating a new energy future. But it's also about creating new economic opportunities. It's about creating sustainable jobs so parents can keep food on the table, so they can send their kids to college, so they can afford health care. It's about creating a new economic future for all.

Companies like Namaste Solar are at the heart of the New Energy Economy. When Colorado voters became the first in the country to pass a Renewable Energy Standard in 2004, Namaste didn't even exist.

Today, Namaste has 55 employees. They built the solar array on top of this museum, and they installed solar on the Governor's Residence.

There are hundreds of New Energy Economy businesses like Namaste employing thousands of people all across Colorado.

The President's recovery package will drive the New Energy Economy forward not just in this state, but all across America — creating jobs, reducing the cost of energy for families, and moving our nation closer to energy independence.

This is how we rebuild America. This is how President Obama's recovery package will get the economy moving again. This is the promise of a better tomorrow.

It is now my privilege to introduce a great friend to the great state of Colorado, someone I've long admired for his commitment and dedication to public service, the Vice President of the United States, Mr. Joe Biden ...

OBAMA SIGNS STIMULUS BILL IN DENVER

TUESDAY, FEB. 17, 2009   

Denver Business Journal - by Mark Harden

President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package into law Tuesday in Denver, calling it “a balanced plan with a mix of tax cuts and investments” that will create or save “60,000 plus” jobs in Colorado.

Obama signed the measure at 1:23 p.m. Tuesday in an indoor ceremony at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

“Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles,” he said before the signing ceremony. “Nor does it constitute all of what we must do to turn our economy around. But it does mark the beginning of the end.”

Obama called the stimulus legislation — which was approved by Congress Friday with almost no Republican support — the most sweeping economic recovery package in the nation’s history.

He said it will create or save some 3.5 million jobs nationwide over the next two years and make the biggest investment in the nation’s roads, bridges and rail system since the interstate highway system was built starting in the 1950s.

Many GOP officials have complained that the package is too big, too unfocused and overloaded with “pork” projects that will have little immediate effect on the economy.

“Now that the stimulus bill has passed, my hope is that the president will now focus on inspiring confidence in the economy instead of the fear he promoted in order to get it passed,” U.S. Rep Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, who voted against the measure, said Tuesday in a statement.

"Americans looking for jobs and struggling to pay bills will be disappointed by the spending package," Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said Tuesday in a statement.

"The transparency and bipartisanship that President Obama promised the American people was sacrificed to pass a pork-laden bill without any public review or meaningful Republican support," he said, adding that the measure will "guarantee a larger debt burden on our children and grandchildren."

The bill-signing event doubled as a showcase for Colorado’s alternative-energy industry, with the president saying the stimulus plan will help the industry create new jobs, boost the nation’s energy independence and make the environment cleaner.

Obama made note of Boulder as being “on a pace to be the world’s first smart-grid city.”

Also singled out for attention was Boulder’s Namaste Solar Electric Inc., whose president, Blake Jones, introduced the president. Namaste installed solar panels on the museum’s roof last year, and Jones gave Obama and Vice President Joe Biden a tour of the installation before the bill signing.

In remarks introducing the president, Jones said that his solar company “had been preparing for a drastic downturn,” but now will be able to hire again with help from the stimulus measure’s investment in clean energy.

Also speaking before Obama, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter thanked the president and the bill’s authors “for believing in the promise of Colorado to help lead our nation forward. ... There is no better place for this signing ceremony than Colorado, the home of the new energy economy.”

Obama’s four-hour visit to Denver was his first stop here since taking office Jan. 20.

He received his party’s nomination for the presidency in August at the Democratic National Convention here, delivering his acceptance speech outdoors at Invesco Field at Mile High.

In a 20-minute address Tuesday before an invited audience of officials and others, Obama cautioned that the stimulus measure — as sweeping as it is — will not solve the nation’s economic crisis by itself.

He said more steps are needed to right the American economy, including stabilizing the banking system, untangling the credit markets and helping homeowners.

“None of this will be easy,” he said. “The road to recovery will not be straight and true. It will demand courage and discipline, and a new sense of responsibility that has been missing – from Wall Street to Washington. There will be hazards and reverses along the way.

“But I have every confidence that if we are willing to continue doing the difficult work that must be done ­— by each of us and by all of us — then we will leave this struggling economy behind us, and come out on the other side, more prosperous as a people.”

Obama made note of his convention appearance in Denver, thanking a long list of local Democrats for their support.

He recalled his promise in his Invesco Field speech to “do all I could to give every American the chance to make of their lives what they will and see their children climb higher than they did. I am back today to say that we have begun the difficult work of keeping that promise.”

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, FEB. 17, 2009   

GOV. RITTER HONORS COLORADO'S FEDERAL RESEARCH LABS

Gov. Ritter this evening presented the 2009 CO-LABS Governor's Award for Research Impact to five scientists from federal research laboratories in Colorado. CO-LABS is a nonprofit that educates about and advocates for Colorado's 24 federal research labs.  

"Colorado's research labs and scientists continue to gain national recognition for their outstanding contributions in advanced scientific research," Gov. Ritter said. "These 24 labs also contribute significantly to Colorado's economy. They support 6,300 employees and had a net economic impact of $1.25 billion in 2008."

The winners of the 2009 Governor's Award for Research Impact:

Based in Boulder, CO-LABS is a consortium of federally funded scientific laboratories, universities, businesses, local governments and community leaders organized to establish Colorado as a global leader in research, technology and their commercialization.

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009

NEW ENERGY PROJECTS TO PLAY BIG ROLE IN RECOVERY 

The Governor's Energy Office said today it is establishing a competitive bid process to fund shovel-ready New Energy Economy projects with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

The Energy Office also is co-sponsoring a recovery conference for utility-company officials on Tuesday, featuring Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, Energy Office Director Tom Plant, Public Utilities Commission Chairman Ron Binz and many others.

"President Obama last month chose to sign the recovery act into law in Colorado to showcase Colorado's New Energy Economy," Gov. Ritter said. "For the past two years, we've attracted new companies and created thousands of new jobs by establishing Colorado as a national leader in the manufacturing, production and research of clean energy.

"The recovery act will help drive the New Energy Economy forward by creating new opportunities for families, businesses and communities all across Colorado," Gov. Ritter said.

The Governor's Energy Office (GEO) will issue a request for shovel-ready project proposals at the end of March or in early April, depending on the timing of guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The GEO defines shovel-ready as an energy efficiency or renewable energy infrastructure project or program that has been extensively developed and for which there is a clear path to implementation within 90 days from the time of award.

To submit questions or ideas about this process, go to www.colorado.gov/energy/recovery/inquiry.asp. For more information on shovel-ready projects go to www.colorado.gov/energy/recovery/shovel-ready.asp.

On Tuesday, the GEO is teaming with several state agencies to host an energy-related recovery conference focused on how Colorado gas and electric utilities and their customers can benefit from the recovery act.

The conference is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel ballroom at 1881 Curtis St. in downtown Denver.

For an agenda and registration information, click here or visit www.dora.state.co.us/puc/agendas/03-10-09ARRA-Symposium.pdf.

Other co-sponsors include the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

For additional information and to monitor how recovery funds are being spent in Colorado, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery.

OFFICE OF LT. GOV. BARBARA O'BRIEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 10, 2009

LT. GOV. O'BRIEN CALLS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLOBORATION TO BUILD COLORADO'S MODERN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Lt. Gov. O'Brien spoke today to over 500 attendees from Colorado's utilities and energy industry at the "How Colorado Electric/Gas Utilities and Their Customers Can Benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)" symposium, in Denver.

"Colorado's New Energy Economy is shaping the energy industry of the mid-21st century and beyond.  The ARRA funds have come at a time that will help us create, transmit and use energy, as well as the jobs for our next generations," said Lt. Gov. O'Brien. "These funds will allow Colorado to invest in energy projects that will help overcome current barriers and bring jobs to our state.  I encourage our public and private partners to be collaborative in securing these competitive bids."

The symposium was sponsored by The Colorado Public Utilities Commission, The Colorado Governor's Energy Office, The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

To learn more about the ARRA funds and opportunities, visit the Governor's Energy Office website:  http://www.colorado.gov/energy/recovery.

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2009

2009 Energy Star PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARDED TO COLORADO GOVERNOR'S ENERGY OFFICE

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) along with its 46 statewide partners will receive an EPA 2009 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., later this month.

Colorado's program was selected for its success in supporting the construction of energy-efficient Energy Star New Homes. These homes are typically 20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes, improving quality and comfort while reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

"Congratulations to the 46 statewide partners and the GEO for this award," Gov. Ritter said. "Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of Colorado's New Energy Economy, and building new homes that save energy and money is another example of how we are leading Colorado forward." Gov. Ritter will accept the award on behalf of Colorado on March 31. 

The EPA has linked significant cost and pollution savings to its ENERGY STAR program. Last year alone Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $19 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.

"More and more homes are now ENERGY STAR homes, and that includes starter homes to more upscale houses," said Fritz Diether, a home energy rater who works with builders, Realtors and others in the Grand Junction area. "Energy efficiency is something we all can benefit from."

In 2008, the GEO partnered with 46 community sponsors -- including homebuilders, Realtors and home energy raters -- on the construction of ENERGY STAR qualifying new homes. The GEO awarded grants totaling $224,000 for training, education and promotional efforts. 

The program resulted in 2,109 new homes in Colorado earning the ENERGY STAR label in 2008, a record 19 percent market share of all new home construction and up dramatically from 8 percent in 2006.  The GEO also helped register more than 50 new Colorado Energy Star New Homebuilders in 2008, pushing the total of qualified ENERGY STAR homebuilders to more than 200 in the state.

Other accomplishments the EPA considered in its Energy Star award to the GEO:

For additional information, visit www.coloradoenergystarhomes.com/.

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2009

GOV. RITTER CELEBRATES ASCENT SOLAR'S NEW HEADQUARTERS & THE ADDITION OF 200 NEW ENERGY ECONOMY JOBS IN COLORADO

THORNTON - Gov. Bill Ritter and local officials celebrated the grand opening of Ascent Solar's new world headquarters and manufacturing facility in Thornton today -- the second of three straight days of new-job announcements the Governor is taking part in this week.

Ascent Solar, the developer of flexible thin-film solar modules, plans to add 180-200 new jobs over the next two years.

"Thanks to companies such as Ascent Solar, we're creating a sustainable energy future, sustainable opportunities for new businesses and sustainable jobs for citizens all across Colorado," Gov. Ritter said at today's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The New Energy Economy is leading Colorado forward and has become a national model for how America can and must re-tool our entire economic foundation for long-term growth in the 21st century," Gov. Ritter said.

Ascent Solar's new 145,000-square-foot facility will house its administrative headquarters and manufacturing operations. It will produce solar modules to power homes, commercial buildings and consumer devices.

The Thornton site is in addition to Ascent's existing facility in Littleton, which has 60 employees.

On Monday, Gov. Ritter was in Pueblo to announce 100 new jobs and an expansion by The Water Company, a high-tech water-purification firm.

On Wednesday, Gov. Ritter will participate in the ground-breaking ceremony for two new Vestas manufacturing plants in Brighton, which will result in 1,350 new jobs over the next year.