Next week the Renew New Mexico conference will be hosted in Tucumcari.
The conference on Wednesday and Thursday will offer some of the  latest technologies and information about renewable energy from commercial to residential uses, said Robert Lumpkin, renewable energy advocate.
The conference is sponsored by the New Mexico Rural Alliance  and designed to present a wide range of information to encourage  evaluation and discussion regarding the development of wind, solar and biomass energy in New Mexico, according to a brochure about the conference.
Some of the highlights include:

Wednesday  
l A tour of the Caprock Wind Ranch in San Jon and a tour of new Route 66 Ethano•plant. Tours are limited and spaces must be reserved. Visit www.renewnm.com
•Opening session at 1 p.m.: Remarks by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Secretary Fred Mondragon, NM Economic Development Department and Sarah Cottrell, Energy & Environment Policy Advisory, Gov. Bill Richardson
•Keynote address at  2 p.m.: Mark Finocchario, CEO and president, Schott Solar, which recently announced its plans to build a plant in New Mexico.

The afternoon's sessions wil•feature:
Transmission/Distribution Impacts on Renewables in NM moderated by Judy Stubbs, NM Economic Development Dept. with a pane•consisting of:
•Beatriz Rivera, Renewable Energy Transmission Authority
•Luis Reyes, Kit Carson Electric Coop
•Mark McGahey, Tristate G&T
•Dave Eubank, PNM
•Steve Beuning, Xce•Energy

Community Wind, Residentia•Wind, Wind For Schools,  moderated by Trudy Forsyth, Nationa•Renewable Energy Lab with a pane•consisting of:
•Becki Meadows, Entegrity Wind
•Trudy Forsyth, NREL
•Ken Starcher, West Texas A&M
Centralized Solar Energy, moderated by David Griscom, Regiona•Development Corporation with a pane•consisting of:
•Bil•Felsher, SkyFuel
•Brian Gibson, EMCORE
•Anders Jepsen, Heliodynamicss

Thursday
Opening Remarks at 8 a.m.  by Commissioner Pat Lyons,  State Land Office.
The morning's sessions will cover:
Developing and Leasing Your Land to Wind Development,  moderated by Robert Foster, New Mexico State University with a pane•consisting of:
•Lee Tillman, Landowner
•Leon Porter, Corona NM Association of Landowners
•Tony Frank, Rocky Mtn. Farmers Union Cooperative & Economic Development Center
•Warren Byrne, Foresight Energy
•Maureen McInerney, Holland and Hart Law Firm

Residential Solar Energy and Biomass (dairy), moderated by Craig O’Hare, NM Energy, Minerals, Natura•Resources Dept. with a pane•consisting of:
•Ryan Gleason, USDA Rura•Development
•Craig O’Hare, Energy, Minerals, Natura•Resources
•Randy Sadewic, Positive Energy
•Kyle Hoodenpyle, Ag2Energy
•Larry Mapes, Valverde Energy

Wind Technology, Development, and Economics, moderated by Jim Morgan, Mesalands Community College with a pane•consisting of:
•   Ken Starcher, West Texas A&M University
•   Robert Foster, New Mexico State University
•   Tracy Rascoe, North American Wind Research & Training Center 
For information visit www.renewnm.com
Cost is $35. The conference wil•be at the Tucumcari Convention Center.