Update: it’s on the cover of the Denver Post web site. And Huffington Post Denver.

Bill Ritter, Governor of Colorado and widely considered a rising star, is retiring.

I’m personally bummed—the eco-responsible movement is losing a leading ally. I’ve had the honor and pleasure to meet Bill numerous times, including when he was an unknown running, and most recently on plane back from DC, where I’d gathered with green new media players, toured, and hung out with our Congressman, Jared Polis.

I’m a moderate liberal, generally, but our Colorado is a swing state of extremes, and Colorado’s gonna bleed green if it turns from blue –> red. Real bummer for rising solar industry, wind, Latinos, entrepreneurs…it’s a long list.

Green Bonafides:

“It’s no surprise that just last week, Bill Ritter was named America’s “Greenest Governor,” for making Colorado a national model for the transition to a New Energy Economy. In fact, a recent Pew report found that under Bill Ritter’s leadership, Colorado has seen its clean energy workforce grow twice as fast as the rest of the nation, while attracting the fifth largest amount of venture capital in the country — three-quarters of which went into clean energy development.” ~ Senator Mark Udall.

To support Gov. Ritter’s reelection campaign in a tough, partisan climate: click here.

Via Renewable Choice, excerpt:

Yesterday, Greenopia, a leading environmental consumer interest website and blog, released a comprehensive rankingof all 50 United States governors. Part of Greenopia’s mission is to keep consumers (and voters) informed on issues of eco-friendly importance. Their Greenest Governors project reveals which state governments are most dedicated to preserving the environment.

Topping the ranking was Colorado’s Bill Ritter. As a Boulder, CO-based company, we’re proud to have the nation’s “Greenest Governor”. Ritter has championed renewable energy development by building a “New Energy Economy” all across Colorado. Gov. Ritter’s focus has led to a doubling of Colorado’s renewable energy requirement and to the creation of Colorado’s first Climate Action Plan. He says, “While renewable energy and energy conservation are vital to our environmental future, the recession has also made it clear how important they are to our economic future. Thanks to our New Energy Economy, we are creating thousands of new jobs, attracting scores of new companies and leading the way toward greater energy independence through research and innovation.”

Other rankees rounding out the top five include Arnold Schwarzenegger of California…for the rest, click here.