Energy was the debate topic in Rifle Wednesday for Congressman Bob Beauprez and Bill Ritter who are both hoping to become Colorado's 41st governor.
With about a month to go until the November election, candidates continue to get their message out.
Wednesday's debate in Rifle was hosted by the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, which serves five counties, including Mesa County.
While other debates have featured a wide range of topics, with development on the rise, particularly in Mesa and Garfield Counties, energy was the name of the game.
Wednesday's debate did not feature audience participation, but questions did have the input from both energy representatives and conservation groups alike.
Each question dealt directly with how each candidate would handle various aspects of energy development in Colorado, including the development of clean energy resources and compensating communities where production is viable.
However, when talking about traditional energy, including oil shale and natural gas, each candidate remarked on approaching this in a responsible manner.
