The going gets tough: Renewable sessions were in evidence at this year's U.S. PowerGen, but the profile of wind and solar was less obvious. Drew Robb went along to find out more.

RENEWABLE ENERGY certainly remains on the agenda at the annual U.S. PowerGen event. Electric vehicles, CSP, offshore wind and hybrid renewable/fossil were combos that remained in the spotlight.And conference tracks included solar, wind and biomass. But while previous PowerGen events have featured miniature wind turbines at the booths of dozens of energy companies – as they sought to highlight their renewable credentials – few windmill displays remain.And the show's renewable pavilion, introduced with a fanfare a few years back, seems to have diminished. While Vestas, Clipper and REpower were in evidence in the beginning, none of the major renewable players appeared to be in evidence. Could it be the wrong message to send out that wind and solar companies prefer their own annual extravaganzas to what is the power industry's marquee event?