Colorado Renewable Energy Conference sparks interest in the environment

Over the weekend nearly 400 registered members and unregistered guests attended the Colorado Renewable Energy Conference at the Pueblo Convention Center. Those who attended received quite a bit of insight from those who work in energy field.Attendants were able to, see, feel, and listen to speeches on how they could save money while, at the same time, helping the environment. Keynote speaker, U.S. Rep, Mark Udall, addressed the community.  He talked about the economic advantages of renewable energy.

While conducting his speech, Udall allowed a brief question-and-answer session on the benefits of renewable energy with the audience.  Udall also discussed what he is hoping to do in 2009 to help promote his ideas on energy in Colorado. One of his plans is to keep the tax credit for renewable energy.

By attending the conference, people saw firsthand how companies such as XcelEnergy, Green Diamond Tires and Colorado Renewable Energy Society are trying to make the community aware of affordable alternative energy methods.  They showed that renewable energy products can be as sturdy as the products used today.

20 different displays were presented to show what the energy industry now has available to the public. Tires, chairs, light bulbs, foam wall insulators and solar energy panels were just some of the items at the conference.

This year’s theme at the conference was, “Renewable Energy: Fueling Prosperity.” Guests got a peek into what could be the future and what society will uses as energy. The event focused primarily on how communities could rebuild around renewable energy by integrating the latest technology, transportation and fuel alternatives that are environmentally friendly.

Workshops were available to those interested in renewable energy. The topics included in the workshops were; construction, passive solar design, wind-powered energy for homes, schools and businesses, energy trends and energy education for school teachers.

Colorado Renewable Energy Society communications director, Phil Von Hake spoke of the conference as, “a huge success!  We had a good conference last year in Steamboat Springs, for some reason or another we only hat roughly half as many people.”

Von Hake added, “We could definitely feel the excitement building in Pueblo, not only as the conference weekend approached, but absolutely on conference weekend- people coming out of the woodwork to come. . .  it was our first time ever in Pueblo, but I am sure it will not be the last time we hold our conference there.”

Von Hake and other members of CRES are pleased with their efforts over the weekend to promote renewable energy awareness to the public.  They are hoping the conference will spark a change in communities.

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