The Clean Tech Open, a nonprofit business plan competition for early-stage startups focused on renewable energy, green building and other cleantech markets, announced today the three winners in the Rocky Mountain region. New Sky Energy, Rivertop Renewables and SunTrac Solar will each receive $50,000 in cash and in-kind services and move on to compete (along with the six finalists from California and three finalists from the Pacific Northwest) for additional prizes and the national title to be awarded in San Francisco later this month. They also join a growing list of impressive Clean Tech Open alumni, including GreenVolts and Adura Technologies, that have together raised more than $130 million in private financing since the competition began in 2006. For the three winners, the prize could be the ticket needed to open up doors among the venture capital community.

New Sky Energy: The Boulder, Colo.-based startup uses chemical technology to convert carbon dioxide into baking soda and other carbonates. These feedstocks could be used in the production of common pro