Becky Bye, 2005 JD Graduate, Interviews Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter for the Denver Bar Association's "The Docket"

Becky Bye, a May 2005 JD graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, recently published an article titled "A Conversation With Attorney (and Governor) Bill Ritter" (pictured left) for The Docket, the publication of the Denver Bar Association.

Among other things, Ms. Bye asked Governor Ritter about his enthusiasim for promoting the "new energy economy," a term that many ascribe to the Governor himself. During his term in office, Governor Ritter was widely credited for promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency through various executive level decisions as well as legislative initiatives.

As reported by Ms. Bye, Governor Ritter said, "I think I had the ability to...say we can produce energy differently, we can consume energy differently. It would be good for our energy portfolio, and it would be good for national security if we found a way to produce energy domestically more than we currently do." To read the full text of Ms. Bye's article, please click here.

Ms. Bye serves as legal counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. She has also worked for Holland & Hart and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado. In the latter role, Ms. Bye provided legal advice to the Commissioners of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

Open Energy Information Website Launched by U.S. Department of Energy

A new open-source web platform that will allow free access to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) resources as well as allow the energy community to upload additional data was launched last week. Over time, the DOE expects that the website will also include technical expert networks and on-line training.

Open Energy Information includes data and tools that will be used by project developers, the private sector, government officials, the international community and others. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is part of the DOE, the website's information will "help deploy clean energy technologies across the country and around the world."

Among other information, the website "currently houses more than 60 clean energy resources and data sets, including maps of worldwide solar and wind potential, information on climate zones, and best practices," NREL said.