Editor’s note: The following appeared in our sister publication, the Boulder County Business Report.

Gov. John Hickenlooper had big shoes to fill when it came to championing the “New Energy Economy.” His predecessor, Bill Ritter, arguably coined the term and spent four years helping to build clean tech as a core industry for Colorado.

As governor, Ritter demonstrated that clean tech can be a major driver of the Colorado economy, helping to lure Vestas Wind Systems — now employing about 1,600 workers in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo, among other companies.

Ritter now directs the Center for the New Energy Economy at CSU. When Hickenlooper took office in January 2011, many observers wondered whether he would match Ritter’s enthusiasm for the “New Energy Economy.”

Alas, it seems not to be the case. As readers will recall, our reporter, Steve Lynn, recently found plenty of frustration in Colorado clean-tech circles about Hickenlooper’s comparative silence. The reordering of priorities at the state Energy Office, as outlined by Steve in a story on the cover of this issue, only underscores the point.

Admittedly, the governor is dealing with