Ritter says renewable energy standards here to stay, despite political shift

Former Gov. Bill Ritter on Tuesday said that he doesn’t expect Colorado’s swing in the state senate from Democrat to Republican control to have much effect on renewable energy standards in the state.

That’s because the state house is still under Democratic control and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has just won re-election.

But Ritter said it will be interesting to watch how the debate over net metering, which allows solar-powered homes and businesses to sell excess power back to Xcel Energy, plays out. Electric utilities are seeking to pare the program back. Hickenlooper’s commission on local governments and hydraulic fracturing regulations will…