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The sun will shine brightly on the 2007 Colorado Renewable Energy Conference, June 810 at the Steamboat Grand Hotel in Steamboat Springs (www.steamboatgrand.com). The conference is an annual event hosted by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (www.cres-energy.org).

The theme of this year's conference is "Colorado Renewable Energy: Leading by Example." More than forty speakers will address a variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency topics, many of which have special significance in Colorado's "New Energy Economy."

"This year's conference is robust and exciting, and it will be held in one of the most beautiful places on the planet," said CRES President Doug Seiter. "Steamboat Springs will provide the perfect setting to examine Colorado's clean energy alternatives."

The conference will begin on Friday, June 8, with numerous workshops showing how you can take advantage of renewable energy and energy efficiency in your own life.

The Saturday morning keynote address will be given by Dr. Charles Kutscher, Principal Engineer and Manager of the Thermal Systems Group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), past Chairman of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), and editor of the recently released ASES report, Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by 2030 (http://www.ases.org/climatechange). Dr. Kutscher will present ASES' findings.

Other Saturday sessions will include a roundtable discussion of rural electric cooperatives regarding challenges and opportunities in Colorado's "New Energy Economy." Representatives of Colorado's ski industry will explain why it's not so easy to be green. A husband-and-wife team will share their personal experiences in going off the electricity grid. And there will be presentations on a number of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, as well as discussions of legislation, marketing, and institutional issues.

Saturday evening's dinner session will feature a keynote address by Dr. Patricia Nelson Limerick, Chair of the Center of the American West at CU-Boulder. She is also a co-author of the Center's latest publication, entitled What Every Westerner Should Know About Energy Efficiency and Conservation (http://www.centerwest.org/publications/pdf/energycons.pdf). Dr. Limerick's talk is whimsically titled "Colorful, Practical and Counter-Intuitive Lessons from the Western Past: Historically-Based How-To Guides for Orchestrating Gigantic Social Transitions in Energy Use." CRES will also present awards for energy efficient building design from around the state.

A number of seminars will be offered on Sunday, June 10, covering subjects like running a successful solar energy business, deciding on specific renewable energy technologies, greening your own home or business, and more. There will also be self-guided tours of homes and businesses in the Steamboat Springs area that take advantage of the latest and greatest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

CRES Sponsors and related organizations will fill the Exhibit Hall during the Conference, displaying their goods and services throughout the weekend.

To register or find out more information about the 2007 Colorado Renewable Energy Conference, contact CRES at 303-806-5317 or www.cres-energy.org. CRES Executive Director Sheila Townsend urges participants to register by May 15 in order to obtain discounted rates and guarantee a room at the Steamboat Grand.