Old politics meets new energy today when President Barack Obama signs a $787 billion economic stimulus bill in Denver.

Vice President Joe Biden and a who's who of Colorado Democrats are expected at the ceremony at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science — but most of them likely won't be on the stage with Obama as he signs the first significant piece of legislation of his presidency.

Instead, men and women who have worked in solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy are expected to be front and center.

"They are not going to have lawmakers on the stage," said Tara Trujillo of U.S. Sen. Mark Udall's office.

Instead, the focus will turn to those who will be at the forefront of the stimulus legislation, including leaders of companies driving what Gov. Bill Ritter has dubbed a "new energy economy."

Udall, for the record, will not attend — he had a prior family commitment, Trujillo said. But Sen. Michael Bennet and U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette, Jared Polis, Betsy Markey and Ed Perlmutter are all expected to join Ritter, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien and other Democratic office-holders at the ceremony. Among the state lawmakers expected at the signing are House Speaker Terrance Carroll, Senate President Peter Groff and Sen. Chris Romer.

The choice of the museum is symbolic — an array of solar panels was installed on its roof last June that today are providing from 3 to 5 percent of the building's power.

Ted Ramsey is director of energy services at Hybrid Energy Group, the company that arranged financing for the museum's solar array.

Ramsey, who plans to attend the signing ceremony, has high hopes for the stimulus package because it extends, for several years, a series of tax credits for solar investments. He hopes to see dozens more projects like the one at the Museum of Nature & Science across the state.

"This project has been a real success," Ramsey said. "We're grateful we have legislation that will help us get farther down this road."

The event, which is by invitation only, is expected to draw about 250 people.

Exact details — such as Obama's arrival time — were not released by the White House on Monday.

But it was apparent that he chose Denver in part to highlight efforts made in recent years to develop Earth-friendly energy in a way that also drives economic growth. And it appeared that Obama planned to make an example of the ways the stimulus plan, which passed with almost no Republican support, would affect real people and real companies.

Take Vestas, the world's largest wind turbine maker.

The company will have a representative at today's bill signing.

Just last week, the company's leaders spoke of the danger of scaling back operations in the wake of the deepening recession.

The stimulus bill, backers believe, may help stop the skid by offering tax incentives for renewable energy development.

Matthew Caryofilles, the owner of SALT Electric in Denver, will be another of the representatives of local renewable energy companies at the bill signing.

SALT did the wiring on the museum's solar panels as well as similar projects at the governor's mansion and the Pepsi Center. But the past few months have seen a slowdown, and the company has had to tighten its belt, Caryofilles said.

Once the stimulus bill is signed, he predicts several projects that have been "percolating" will finally get under way. Work could begin on some of them by the end of March, he said.

"We can actually grow again," he said.

More than that, Caryofilles said he's happy the stimulus package will allow the country to move forward with new sources of energy and a focus on conservation. In addition to tax credits for renewable energy facilities, the legislation also includes billions of dollars for grants to increase energy efficiency and to encourage scientific research.

"Whenever the public has been asked where they want their energy to come from, particularly in Colorado, they've always said they want it to come from somewhere else than where it's currently coming from," he said. "It's what we've wanted."

But the stimulus bill is not without its detractors. Not a single Republican voted for it in the U.S. House, and only three of the Senate's GOP members supported it.

While Obama is at the museum, Jon Caldara of the free-market Independence Institute, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, writer Michelle Malkin and former Congressman Bob Beauprez plan to voice their opposition to the measure on the west steps of the state Capitol.

Staff writers Jerd Smith and Sara Burnett contributed to this report.

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