Here's why we need your support: Whether the perspective is environmental, political, or humanitarian, U.S. dependence on oil is unsustainable. More than ever, it is imperative to change how we use and obtain energy. SolarFest's mix of energy education, sustainable living inspiration and family entertainment serves a valuable function: encouraging community to think sustainably. Please be a part of our teeming center of ideas and action for change!

"SolarFest inspires people to use less, practice resource conservation, and use renewable forms of energy. In response to the unsustainable consumption of the world's limited resources, SolarFest accomplishes its mission by educating the people of Vermont and New England about sustainable alternatives to society's current practices, and by demonstrating the viability of renewable forms of energy. SolarFest utilizes a unique blending of arts and education to engage the public on these critical issues."

Over the past few years, SolarFest has bloomed to become New England's Energy Festival, balancing the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Wisconsin and Real Goods' Solfest in California. Strengthening our organization and our offerings to people takes more capital, more networking, more partners and sponsorships.

SolarFest 2007 promises to be another fun-filled festival with information and workshops on renewable energy and sustainable lifestyle as a whole. The weekend will see displays and vendors of sustainable building, renewable energy, literature, agriculture and husbandry, green products, and traditional crafts. Networking and learning opportunities abound. Two days of high-quality family entertainment will take place on our stage and on the grounds. Community participation is everything to the festival, and we encourage people with ideas for presentations or presenters to let us know (info@solarfest.org). We thrive on people power!

We are beholden to the generous response to our fundraising efforts throughout the year, and to the continued donation of time, services and goods by our friends. SolarFest is blessed to benefit from the talent and support of so many people.

With each year, SolarFest attracts more support from organizations and people who share a belief in our mission to educate people about sustainability. The depletion of world fossil fuel reserves is a certainty, and the political costs of reliance on foreign energy sources are all too apparent. Helping people gain access to the knowledge, skills and technology with which to ease our transition to sustainable energy sources is more important than ever.

Click for a list of our donors.

While we do our best to hold down the costs of the festival itself and are able to in large part because of the generous in-kind support we get from artists and the production people involved, the health of the SolarFest organization relies on our ability to raise operating funds. Our annual campaign goal is $20,000 dollars. We welcome your tax-deductible contribution to SolarFest: Energy Education Through the Arts to help us reach this goal.

Currently, ten photovoltaic panels are on site and hooked up to the grid. The panels, inverters, wiring, underground conduit and mounts are there on what amounts to credit - they were installed in time for SolarFest 2006 and now we need to raise money to purchase them. From now until next July 14 and 15, solar-generated electricity will feed into the grid, and we'll have put in much, much more power than we will use at SolarFest.

We need to raise $9,000 to pay for these panels. You can attain sponsor status for as little as $25, although we encourage you to help us as much as you can. When you become a Solar Sponsor, your name will be added to the Solar Sponsor board that will be installed next to the array near the main stage. Please take this opportunity to be a part of our continued efforts to reduce consumption of the world's non-renewable resources. Click here to learn how.

The most powerful political leaders continue to shy from solutions that could possibly turn the tide on global warming; they seem determined to divest the earth of every last drop of oil, laying waste to the last wilderness areas in the process. One has to wonder where their true interest lies: sure doesn't seem to be with people, but with big business as usual.

In these challenging times, business cannot be usual. Countries less politically encumbered than the U.S., with necessarily sharper awareness of the perils of depletion, turn increasingly to wind and solar power to meet their energy needs. The renewable industries are developing to the point where economic viability is patent - what isn't clear is their political viability. Makes you wonder. Imagine what could happen if the RE industries enjoyed the same tax breaks and incentives that oil and mining companies do in the U.S.!

We need to take matters into our hands. We need to be vocal in our requests for support of renewables. We need to let the leaders know that we are willing to conserve -- who wouldn't buy a vehicle that saves money at the pump? -- and to invest in renewable sources.

We've squandered long enough.