Promising renewable energy workshop to be held June 1

The Sierra Economic Development District (SEDD) will host a workshop at The North Tahoe Conference Center on June 1 where leading experts will facilitate sessions in biomass utilization.

Biomass - or agricultural products such as straw, corn, and wood residue - is the largest and most promising sustainable and renewable energy resource with global applications. Attendees will learn about California's Roadmap for Biomass Utilization, examine the latest technology advances for biomass based fuels and other products, receive the results of the current biomass supply and energy demand analyses, hear the latest on regulatory compliance and share the lessons learned from recent biomass implementation projects. Each session will be fully interactive.

This workshop will include a consortium of California and Nevada suppliers and users to address barriers/constraints to "utility" scale and locally-owned biomass power development and lead to increased bio-energy awareness through outreach in the two-state region. It is the latest in the ongoing series of working conferences addressing forest health, fuel load reduction, and economic development potential from biomass in the Sierra and Tahoe regions.

Workshop organizers are planning an exciting lineup of local and national technical presenters geared toward a regional audience. Facilitators include representatives from Western Governors' Association, Environmental Protection Agency, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California Energy Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Placer County Air Pollution Control, CA Tahoe Conservancy, Nevada Fire Safe Council, California Biomass Collaborative, TSS Consultants, Mater Engineering, Ltd., Holl Consulting, Foresters Co-Op, UC Berkeley, UN Reno and South Lake Tahoe High School District. Lessons Learned Session will include representatives from White Pine County School District, Ely, NV; Northern Nevada Correctional Center and Truckee Biomass Demonstration Project.

The workshop is open to local economic development leaders, industry representatives, researchers, rural landowners, utilities and others interested in biomass utilization and fire-fuels reduction.

Registration is $25 per person and includes lunch, parking and workshop materials. The workshop will be held on Friday, June 1, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The North Tahoe Conference Center in Kings Beach, Calif.



For more information, or to reserve a seat, SEDD can be reached at (530) 823-4703 or on the web at www.sedd.org.