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September 21, a dozen cities and towns across Colorado will join an international day of action called Sun Day, meant to celebrate progress made so far ramping up clean energy capacity.

Solar is now the fastest growing energy source in the world, according to a recent report. More than 80 percent of all new power comes from the sun. In Denver’s City Park, a Solar Wise Kids event is set to kick off at 1 p.m.

Geoff Wolf, marketing coordinator for the advocacy group Third Act Colorado, said there will be plenty on tap for the whole family.

"There’s going to be solar demonstrations of how gadgets work. There‘s going to be costumes, there’s going to be music, free prizes," Wolf outlined. "There will be an EV rally just right before the event, and then they’ll all be parked there, so you can go look at all the cool vehicles."

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Ninety-five percent of clean-energy projects deliver power cheaper than gas or coal but the sector faces serious headwinds after President Donald Trump rolled back Inflation Reduction Act investments in wind and solar. The administration has also called for increased fossil-fuel production to achieve its goal of energy dominance.

To avert the worst impacts of a changing climate, emissions from fossil fuels must reach net-zero by 2050, according to a global scientific consensus. The Denver Sun Day event is co-hosted by Third Act Colorado and Wolf added it is never too late to help make the planet sustainable for future generations.

"There’s this whole generation of 60-year-old and older that are ready for the third part of their life," Wolf observed. "They want to share all their experience and learning that they’ve had, and help protect the environment."

Clean energy projects employ millions of workers in Colorado and across the U.S., and communities getting most of their power from the sun report fewer asthma attacks, clearer skies and quieter neighborhoods. Wolf pointed out the center of Earth’s solar system has been providing sunshine for nearly 5 billion years.

"The cool thing about that is the sun shines for free," Wolf emphasized. "So while there’s some infrastructure costs to capture that energy, once that’s set up, it’s up there for us to use after that."