From our point of view, the new generation wood energy and wood-based fuels industries have been moving along at a breakneck pace for several years now. I realize that if you’re with one of the venture producer companies, or with one of the contractors or equipment suppliers, you may have a different perspective as your project drifted forward, or, present tense, continues to drift forward.
But we’ve seen it differently as tons of news releases filled (and continue to fill) our e-mails with new venture and project announcements and developments. Unless, in our opinion, the proposed project sounds totally implausible, we’ve tended to run with it in the magazine. I mean, if somebody has the nerve to stick their neck out on the chopping block, we’ll stretch it out a little farther for them. And at no cost.
Beginning on page 16, you’ll read about the upcoming Bioenergy Fuels & Products Conference & Expo, which will be held at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. on March 18-19. The event is held every other year, and will feature eight keynote speakers, another 30 or so session speakers, and about 70 equipment and supplier exhibitors. The event is hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine and, like this magazine, it covers wood pellets, biomass power, biofuels, woody feedstock procurement and harvesting. The initial conference timeline agenda is on pages 18-20.
I view this event as an opportunity for the participants in this new era industry to regroup, take a look around, see who’s not with us anymore and also discover who’s new to the gathering—companies and people. Which companies are bringing new technologies to the table? What projects are in the works? Which projects have momentum? Which ones are nearing startup or have started up? Which once highly publicized ventures will we learn have officially expired?
Each one of our eight keynoters will bring a pertinent message to the table. I’m particularly looking forward to hearing Huey Long, Senior Principal with Mountain Creek Group. In addition to having a great name, Long has more experience with “wood” than about anybody, and has had a knack for being involved in private venture projects that invited immense public scrutiny. Long intends to review some of the questions we all were asking five years ago when this “new” woody biomass industry landed like a spaceship out of nowhere. Knowing Huey, he will provide some very entertaining and educated observations and answers. And since he was also a career U.S. Army Commander, he won’t care what anybody thinks.
Come join us in Atlanta March 18-19. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll learn something. And it’ll be fun. Register at www.bioenergyshow.com
From Left: Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief; Jay Donnell, Associate Editor; Dan Shell, Western Editor; Jessica Johnson, Associate Editor; David Abbott, Senior Associate Editor; David (DK) Knight, Co-Publisher/Executive Editor