From The Colorado Independent: Backers of a bill that would have prompted the study of a “feed-in-tariff” program in Colorado to connect renewable energy generators to the grid say the state’s major utilities quietly killed the legislation in committee last week because of their “continuing love affair with fossil fuels.” HB 1228, sponsored by Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton, was shot down in the House Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Committee, mostly because of the no votes of seven Republicans. Publicly owned Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, and the Colorado Rural Electric Association – representing most of state’s rural electric co-ops – opposed the bill.