WASHINGTON - Registration is now open for Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance, a national renewable energy conference that will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Oct. 10-12, 2006, at America's Center in St. Louis. The conference will focus on achieving goals outlined in President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI), which seeks to change the way we power vehicles, homes, and businesses through the use of alternative energy sources.

"We must work together to keep America competitive by expanding sustainable, market-driven, domestic energy sources," USDA Secretary Mike Johanns said. "The October conference will build upon the President's vision for overcoming our energy challenges and will create new opportunities in rural communities."

Advancing Renewable Energy is designed to help create and strengthen partnerships and strategies necessary to accelerate commercialization of renewable energy industries and distribution systems. The conference will specifically focus discussions on biomass, wind, and solar research and commercialization. DOE and USDA expect the conference to identify critical pathways and make recommendations to help accelerate renewable energy technology development. The conference also will examine incentives to help reduce risk for investors and developers in the marketplace and will review challenges of developing new distribution systems.