The San Diego office of Stoel Rives LLP is offering free attendance and registration for the upcoming ABA/ACORE Renewable Energy Teleconference Series on November 18, 2009:  Sustaining Economic Stimulus – The National Bioenergy Case. The call time is from 9:00 am - 10:30 am.

This is important background information for those considering algae to energy projects.

Stoel Rives invites interested parties to join them for this program in their San Diego office.  To register your attendance free of charge, please follow this "Register" link and scroll down and select "Host Site Registration" and enter the Discount Passcode UT0910HF.  Stoel Rives’ office is located at 12265 El Camino Real, Suite #303, San Diego, CA 92130.

If you are unable to join them in their San Diego office, follow the "Register" link and select "General Registration," where you will find the necessary information to register your participation from another location.  For general registration, use Discount Passcode UT0910GR.

The webinar presentation is summarized below:

The prospects for a successful green energy revolution  appear problematic with the diffused applications of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the seemingly faltering relevance of carbon regulation, the lack of policy coordination  on environmental/ renewable energy issues in the Federal Government between departments and agencies with broad natural resource jurisdiction, and the controversy surrounding green  energy uses  of bioenergy sources  such as co-firing by electric utilities and other companies. The significance of these issues will be escalated if the scheduled reduction in Federal grant, tax and loan assistance programs to renewables occur in 2011. 

A key example of this problem is the relatively stalled progress of the numerous applications of our nations’ bioenergy resources. The bioenergy industry comprises over half of all renewable energy production in 2008, biomass serves as one of the few renewable base load generation options, and has major potential to provide a cost effective solution to both clean energy shortfalls and carbon  implementation challenges.  Bioenergy’s multi-business fragmentation and dispersion over multiple technologies provides great opportunities for innovative new economic growth, even in the face of limited government support. The potential utilization of bioenergy by utilities and other energy producers in co-firing, gasification and other public service applications opens the possibility of creative new strategic alliances between major industries.  Realizing the potential of bioenergy in its applications for power, steam, heat and gasification will establish a precedent for what the renewable energy industry must do to be a sustaining part of the American economic picture. The national bioenergy case will be built through encouragement of privately sponsored breakthroughs, merging the utilities with rural, agricultural and government lands opportunities, and innovative attention to the use of Federally- administered natural resources. 

The panelists for the program are specialists drawn from business, science and government sectors in the key bioenergy arenas required to do so: 

Roger Feldman, Andrews Kurth LLP (Washington D.C)

Topic:  A brief overview and orientation to the key industry issues; and department and agency programmatic content

Andy Rovito, Development Partners, LLC

Topic:  Private finance of bioenergy projects and how diverse Federal programs can be utilized (or should be modified) to realize the most of their current potential.

Janet Hawkes, HD1,LLC

Topic:  Synthesis in the implementation of existing and proposed climate change regulatory R&D programs and land management policies  which could reframe the perception and implementation of biomass energy management/carbon programs. 

Al Ferrer, Burns and Roe

Topic:  The between strategic alliances to deploy bioenergy such as co-firing biomass and fossil fuels, if commercial requirements can be accommodated by a supportive regulatory environment.