Aug 27 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - David Young Greeley Tribune, Colo.

Renewable energy took the stage Tuesday at the DNC as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke about renewable fuel energy and responsible drilling, while Gov. Bill Ritter spoke at a separate conference about the Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturing company Vestas.

Pelosi rode a hybrid energy bus down 16th Street to Union Station where she addressed a crowd of about 100 people.

Before Pelosi was able to get her opening comments out, however, protesters supporting Republican John McCain's drilling policy began chanting, "Drill now."

Pelosi acknowledged the protesters by saying, "Let's do some intellectual drilling," deeming Denver as ground zero for renewable energy.

Pelosi said the Bush administration failed the people at the hands of big oil.

"This is God's planet and we have a responsibility," Pelosi said. "We must reduce our dependence on oil and foreign oil."

She called wind, solar and biofuels the solution, and said the new green economy would provide thousands of jobs to people.

Protester Adam Saffer, who attends University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, said he is fighting for a better future. Faced with rising gas prices and a failing economy, he said he supported local drilling to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

"College is hard enough as it is without (high) gas prices," Saffer said. "We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and we need to act now."

A few blocks away at the sculpture park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Ritter praised Vestas as what he said is an example of that new energy economy.

U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, a Democrat from Eldorado Springs, said Vestas is helping create a revolution.

"Green is the new red, white and blue," said Udall, adding that people are realizing wind is the future of energy.

Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Golden, attended both events and said that renewable energy is a no-brainer because it is good for the environment, jobs and national security.

In response to the "drill here, drill now" protesters, Perlmutter responded, "wind here, wind now."

Based on predictions that in the year 2030 up to 70 percent of America will get its energy from the wind, Ritter and company are placing their hopes in renewable energy firms like Vestas.

"We haven't even gotten close to reaching the envelope of what we can do with renewable energy," Ritter said.

Copyright © 2008The McClatchy Company