Day 2
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Congressional Keynote
- Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator (D-MN)
Opening Plenary – "Industry Perspectives on Bioenergy"
The future of bioenergy—from the perspective of the existing biofuels industry and from companies with an emerging interest in bioenergy.
- Matt Carr (Moderator), Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Organization
- Jim Sturdevant, Director of Project Liberty, POET
- Richard Wynne, Director of Environment and Aviation Policy, Boeing Company
- Henry Bryndza*, Director of Biochemical Science and Engineering – Biomaterials, Dupont
- Mark Maher, Executive Director for Powertrain and Vehicle Integration, General Motors
Technical Breakout Session 2
Track 1: Conversion Pathways for Bioenergy: Upgrading of Intermediates
This session focused on a breadth of biomass-derived processing intermediates and how they can be utilized and upgraded to produce fuels and chemicals.
- Paul Grabowski (Moderator), Technology Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Dan Burciaga, President and Chief Executive Officer, ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc.
- Doug Galloway*, Manager for Renewable Energy and Chemicals Research, Honeywell's UOP, LLC
- Glenn Johnston, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Gevo, Inc.
- Laurel Harmon, Vice President of Government Relations, LanzaTech
Track 2: Moving Algae Biofuels from "Potential" to "Practice"
This session focused on approaches being undertaken by industry to enable the affordable, scalable, and sustainable production of algae biofuels. The speakers provided their industry perspectives on current progress and next steps needed to move algae biofuels from "potential" to "practice."
- Ron Pate (Moderator), Principal Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories
- David Hazleback, Biofuels Program Manager, General Atomics
- Joel Butler*, Chief Executive Officer, Solix BioSystems
- Gregory Schwartz, Director of Systems Engineering, Kent Bioenergy
- Brian Goodall, Vice President for Business Development, SRS Energy
- Hoyt H. Thomas, President and Chief Executive Officer, OpenAlgae
Track 3: Industry Perspective on Products and Commercial Pathways and the Impact on Supplying the Whole Barrel
This session explored industry efforts to create commercial pathways for biofuels and bioproducts, increased capabilities for their production and use, and it discussed the reasons and impacts associated with these efforts.
- Neil Rossmeissl (Moderator), Technology Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Todd Werpy, Vice President of Biofuels and Biochemical Research, Archer Daniels Midland Company
- Linda Beltz, Director of Technology Partnerships, Weyerhaeuser
- Mark Jones, Technology Strategy Development Fellow, The Dow Chemical Company
- Robert Schuetzle, Chief Executive Officer, Synterra Energy
Track 4: Investment Risks of New Technology Innovation – The Views of Venture Capitalists, DOE, and IPA
(Note: Only one PowerPoint was used during Track 4. The secured PDF will be available at a later date.)
This session featured a discussion with venture capitalists, government agents, and industry representatives regarding their approaches to the risks of new technology development and how those perspectives impact investments in biorefineries.
- Brian Duff (Moderator), Chief Engineer, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Andras Marton, Senior Project Analyst, Independent Project Analysis
- Doug Cameron, Founder and Managing Director, Alberti Advisors
- Todd Pray, Director of Project Management, Amyris
- Carol Babb, Vice President, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, LLC
- Brian Baynes, Partner, Flagship Ventures
- Ajit Nazre, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Track 5: Assessing Critical Needs and Roles in Developing the Bioenergy Workforce of the Future
This session discussed recently conducted and ongoing studies of bioenergy workforce needs and gaps, and it asked what role the federal government and other key entities should play in the advanced bioenergy arena.
- Amy Schwab (Moderator), Systems Integration Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- David Swenson, Associate Scientist, Iowa State University
- Daniel Cassidy, National Program Leader, Forest-Based Bioenergy, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S Department of Agriculture
- Jill Stuckey, Director, Georgia Center of Innovation for Energy
- Sarah Thornton, Director, Biofuels and Biomass Policy, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
- Troy Runge, Associate Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin
- Kristen Johnson, Presidential Management Fellow, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Technical Breakout Session 3
Track 1: Conversion Pathways for Bioenergy – Thinking Beyond Gasoline and Gasoline Additives
This session addressed the need to replace the whole barrel of oil by focusing on biomass conversion technologies that aim to commercialize fuel and chemical products that go beyond displacing only gasoline consumption.
- Leslie Pezzullo (Moderator), Biochemical Conversion Platform Technology Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Steve Hutcheson*, Founder, AE Zymetis
- Paul Spindler, Vice President of Technology, Catchlight Energy, LLC
- Harold A. Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Rentech, Inc.
- Jostein Gabrielsen, Research Engineer, Haldor Topsøe A/S
Track 2: Balancing Economics and Ecosystems to Reach a Billion Tons
This session focused on the environmental implications of meeting competing needs for biomass, and it examined the assumptions inherent to the updated Billion-Ton Study. In particular, the session speakers addressed land-use change and crop productivity.
- Allison Welde (Moderator), Director, Conservation Partnerships and Communications, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc.
- Richard Nelson, Program Coordinator, Center for Sustainable Energy, Kansas State University
- Laurence Eaton, Environmental and Natural Resource Economist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Timothy Volk, Research Associate, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York
- Will McDow, Southeast Regional Manager, Center for Conservation Incentives, Environmental Defense Fund
Track 3: Consumer Choice – End Uses of Biofuel
This session explored various end-use considerations for expanding our nation's use of biofuels, the infrastructure considerations, and the use of biofuels in personal, fleet, and specialty vehicles.
- Dennis Smith (Moderator), Technology Deployment Manager and National Clean Cities Director, Vehicle Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy
- Lee Slezak, Vehicle Systems Manager, Vehicle Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy
- Forrest Jehlik, Research Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory
- Claude Masters, Manager, Vehicle Acquisition and Fuel, Florida Power & Light
- Kellie Walsh, Executive Director, Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition
Track 4: Strategies to Build the Next Generation Biorefineries – What is the endgame?
Presentations by biorefinery developers and financial organizations discussed the intricacies of identifying and mitigating the risks and barriers that are associated with creating financeable projects, which will move the biorefinery industry forward.
- Neil Rossmeissl (Moderator), Technology Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Gerson Santos-León, Executive Vice President, Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies
- John J. McKenna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hamilton Clark Securities Company
- Theodora Retsina, Chief Executive Officer, American Process, Inc.
- Dan Tobin, Intake and Biomass Domain Program Manager/Senior Investment Officer, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Track 5: Biofuels in Flight – The Path for Aviation Biofuels
This session provided an update on the progress being made to piece together the unique supply chain for greener and more sustainable biobased aviation fuels.
- Joanne Morello (Moderator), AAAS Fellow, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
- Steven Barker, Director, Technical Fuel Services and Standards, Air Transport Association
- Rich Altman, Executive Director, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative
- Tim Edwards, Chemical Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Patrick Mazza, Research Director, Climate Solution
Plenary Session: "Moving Toward the Horizon"
A discussion of near term actions needed to create the bioenergy economy of the future.
- Jim Nussle (Moderator), President and Chief Operating Officer, Growth Energy
- Sharlene Weatherwax, Associate Director of Science in Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy
- John McKenna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hamilton Clark & Co.
- Barbara Bramble, Senior Advisor, National Wildlife Federation
Closing Remarks
- Paul F. Bryan, Program Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy