About us
The mission of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) is to lead Colorado to an energy-efficient and renewable energy economy through education, policy advancement, and economic development.
The Boulder Area chapter of CRES serves all of Boulder County in Colorado, including Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, Longmont, and surrounding areas. BCRES works to increase awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. We host meetings and events to help members and the public connect with the ideas and people that make renewable energy and energy efficiency happen.
CRES social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Upcoming events
2
- Network event
Southwest Power Pool Western Expansion: Progress Update
·OnlineOnline21 attendees from 3 groupsWe'll be joined by Steve Johnson, Senior Director, Markets Administration, of the Southwest Power Pool to receive an update on their western expansion via their RTO and Markets + initiatives. Colorado Utilities are required by law to join an organized wholesale market by 2030, which should enhance efficiencies, lower wholesale energy costs, and provide for coordinated transmission development. It should also help better integrate renewable energy resources. Join us to learn how the market has worked as it has moved from the initial energy imbalance market to a full wholesale market (RTO) and what the future holds.
Steve Johnson joined Southwest Power Pool in August 2020 after a 20-year career with the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and was named SPP’s Senior Director of Markets Administration in 2023. He began his career in 1996 as an apprentice operator at Hetch Hetchy Water and Power near his hometown of Sonora, California, before joining Western Area Power Administration as a power system operator. Before transitioning to SPP, he served as WAPA’s Senior Vice President and Manager of the Colorado River Storage Project. Steve has extensive real-time operations experience, including hydroelectric plant operations, transmission operations, energy marketing, scheduling and accounting, balancing authority operations, and reliability coordination throughout the Western Interconnection.
Zoom registration link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UL6haruVTfW_kLYMc1wA6w#/registration
In his current role at SPP, Steve oversees the administration of the RTO’s day-ahead and congestion hedging markets. He was also an integral part of the team that facilitated SPP’s recent expansion of RTO operations into the Western Interconnection. Steve holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy Management from Bismarck State College.
12 attendees from this group - Network event
CRES 30th Anniversary Celebration
The Retreat at Solterra, 15250 West Evans Avenue, Lakewood, CO, US9 attendees from 5 groupsNote: This is a ticketed event. Purchase tickets here.
Celebrate 30 years of clean energy progress at our anniversary celebration this fall at the beautiful Retreat at Solterra in Lakewood on Sunday, September 27th, from 1-5 PM!
Since 1996, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) has provided education, advocacy, and community engagement to accelerate our state's path toward a 100% clean energy future. From that first member meeting through to the recent legislative wins of the 2026 session, we as a community have so much to celebrate!
Enjoy a reunion-style event full of short storytelling, live music from local favorite Redhorn, drinks from Odell's, catering from Hippie Chicks Catering, and plenty of great conversations!
The event will be more casual, with no formal keynote speakers scheduled. Our goal is to reconnect, re-energize, and power ahead toward a 100% renewable energy Colorado.
The theme for this event will be CRES Past, Present, and Future, with a big emphasis on the future. Colorado officially hit 53% renewable electricity in Q1 of this year, which is an incredible milestone by any standard, but also a call to action to step things up!
Past - Celebrate our early days from that first call for members to the big wins with the Lamar Wind Farm and Amendment 36/Colorado's RPS.
Present - Our chapters and Policy Committee have been working
hard over the past few years on Speaker Series programming and policy advocacy. Hear about the recent progress made on both!Future - What comes next? Colorado is a top 10 state for energy production, but it still has a way to go before it's fully renewable. Let's talk vision, next steps, and explore ways we can work together to build Colorado's renewable energy future.
When: Sunday, September 27th from 1-5 PM
Where: The Retreat at Solterra in Lakewood (15250 W. Evans Ave., Lakewood, CO 80228)Want to help out with this event? Send us an email at info@cres-energy.org about volunteering for the anniversary celebrations!
1 attendee from this group
Past events
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