With fossil fuel prices climbing, alternative energy sources are becoming more cost-effective.

And, as many communities try to become greener on their own – windmills in Saco, green schools in Portland, zoning that encourages energy-efficient retail buildings in Scarborough – the Greater Portland Council of Governments is hoping to coalesce the efforts into a regional push toward sustainability.

“I think there’s interest there and I think it’s a great time to be focused on these issues,” said Paul McKenney, president of Greater Portland Council of Governments and a Cape Elizabeth councilor. “We need to start to think, ‘What can we do regionally to make things better for everyone?'”

On Friday, March 21, the Greater Portland Council of Governments is presenting a special forum, ‘Preparing Our Region for a Sustainable Energy Future,” at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. The keynote speaker is Charlie Stevens, an Oregon-based sustainable energy expert who spent 17 years as a senior policy analyst for the Oregon Department of Energy before becoming an independent consultant. Other speakers include Saco City Administrator Richard Michaud.

Elected officials from the council’s 25-member municipalities have been invited, along with state government officials and representatives of more than 20 organizations with an interest in sustainable energy, such as the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The public is also invited.

The intention of the conference is for participants to swap ideas and get new information from the invited speakers. It’s hoped that it will lead to some projects, such as more green building projects and alternative energy use, McKenney said.

“What you quickly realize is that there is no one answer that fits all the problems,” he said. “If we can find a way to be energy-independent, I think we will.”

For more information on the workshop, log on to www.gpcog.org.