What do you get when you cross
hot air, wild things, wind, corn, and a yurt?

by Monica Worth

You get the 2007 Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo—not to mention lower energy bills, less demand for electricity, reduced dependence on foreign oil, cleaner air, and a healthier environment, indoors and out.

On Saturday, June 2, at the Fauquier County Fairgrounds, RLEP will again host the region's only one-stop shopping opportunity for consumer-friendly alternatives to fossil-fuel energy generation. With an added emphasis on green building, energy conservation, and sustainability, organizers of this year's event expect more vendors, more diversity, and more visitors.

New exhibitors at this year's Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo include Blue Ridge Yurts (top) and MoreSun Custom Woodworking (bottom).

Visitors to the Expo will see a variety of alternative-energy technologies:

Solar, wind, and biofuels

Energy-efficient heating and cooling options,
such as geothermal systems

High-velocity duct systems

Tankless water heaters

Radiant systems

Alternative-fuel boiler

If you missed last year's Expo, you're in luck—most of the vendors from the inaugural event are returning. Among the newcomers are companies offering alternative fuels, water and air purification systems, alternative construction and building materials, eco-friendly forest management, and energy-efficient household products.

"The news headlines say it all," says Maureen Blackwell, who with RLEP volunteer Kathy Poush and board member Alexia Morrison, is heading up the 2007 Expo. "The power-line debate launched a call to state legislators for conservation measures. Drilling continues to raise environmental concerns. Our nation of cars and consumers is coming to grips with global warming. The challenges are steep. Yet, with each passing year, technology advances make it easier for each of us to become the change we seek."

Among the most popular Expo offerings are a variety of hands-on educational opportunities and the chance to talk through individual applications with a wide range of experts. A number of not-for-profit organizations will be on hand with information on energy-use strategies. Organizers have also invited projects in which young people have taken the initiative to implement alternative-fuel programs in their schools and homes.

Sponsorship is heavily emphasized this year, and conservation-minded organizations and individuals wanting to support this exploration of alternative-energy concepts are encouraged to contribute and be recognized. To date, commitments have been received at the highest levels for both organizational partners ($1,000) and individual benefactors ($100). Those interested in participating as sponsors at these or lower levels can visit RLEP's Expo Sponsor web page for information about opportunities to sponsor the 2007 Expo.

"With all the challenges before us—reduce energy consumption, find new fuels, stop global warming—it's hard sometimes to appreciate our progress," says RLEP President, Paul Farmer. "The beauty of today's alternative-energy resources is that they're in the mainstream now, a normal part of the way we manage our budgets, run our cars, and build our homes. That's what I call progress."

For more on the Expo, see the special insert in this issue and visit the Expo home page.

Notes

1. "At present, the energy sector and the national policy that determines how it evolves leaves the U.S. exposed to three major, interconnected threats. Our national security is compromised by how we get and use energy: The inability to even recognize climate change as a problem only makes the inevitable task of facing the problem more difficult. Finally, the harmful effect of our present energy policy on the domestic economy needs an expanded and more aggressive attack to reverse the damage."
—Renewable Energy Policy Project website (www.repp.org)

2. The Web is a great source of information on alternative energy. This U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center website (www.eere.energy.gov/afdc) alone has more than 3,000 documents in its database, an interactive fuel station mapping system, current listings of available alternative fuel vehicles, and lots of alternative fuels information and related links.

Questions? Please contact us!

Email: altenergyexpo@rlep.org
Address:
Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo
c/o Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection
P.O. Box 94
Washington, VA 22747