February 26-27, 2002
Doubletree • Pasco Airport


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See a list of conference sponsors

Tuesday, Feb 26
1:00 pm Registration

1:00 to
4:00 pm

 Special tours for local school children of the rural clean energy technology exhibition

3:00 to
5:00 pm

 Policy Workshop
What does the new Energy Title in the federal Farm Bill mean for the Northwest? What state and local policies can help grow farm-based energy production? (Brief presentations with moderated discussion):
  • Russ Hendricks, Idaho Farm Bureau
  • Lloyd Ritter, Majority Counsel, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee 
• Gretchen Borck, Washington Wheatgrowers Association
• Jay Gordon, Washington State Dairy Federation
• Lisa Schwartz, Policy Analyst, Oregon Office of Energy
  • Chris Cassidy, USDA Rural Development
  • Sonja Ling, Renewable Northwest Project
• Mary McBride, Senator Patty Murray's Office
6:00 to
8:00 pm
 Opening Reception
7:00 to
7:30 pm

Evening Speakers
Jake Fey, Director, Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program
Sharon Ashurst, Biomass Lead, USDA Rural Utility Service
  Unveiling of Harvesting Clean Energy website providing farmers and rural landowners practical information for each of the farm-based energy technologies, and new regional wind maps

Wednesday, Feb 27
7:30 to
8:30 am
 Registration
8:30  to 9:00 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Welcoming comments from WA Sen. Patty Murray, ID Sen. Mike Crapo, WA Gov. Gary Locke, and OR Gov. John Kitzhaber

Conference Emcee Troy Berglund, Benton Rural Electric Association
Gretchen Borck, Washington Wheatgrowers Association
Mary McBride, Senator Patty Murray's Regional Representative
Don Dixon, Senator Mike Crapo's State Director for Agriculture
9:05 to
10:00 am		 “Rapid Reports”
Brief presentations from Energy and Agriculture Experts on cutting edge topics
Moderator: Ken Sugden, Manager, Franklin County PUD
  • “Farm-based Energy the Co-op Way,” Dave Warren, Executive Director, Last Mile Electric Co-op
  • “Funding Farm-Based Energy with CO2 Offsets,” Erica Graetz, Climate Trust
  • “Getting Projects Permitted,” Tim McMahon, Stoel Rives LLC
  • “Farming Clean Energy from Fuel Cells,” Myra Vowles, BPA, Acting Manager for Fuel Cell Development Program
  • “Consumer-Owned Utility Role in Renewable Energy,” Randy Gregg, Benton PUD
• “Launching the New Oregon Renewable Energy Center,” Howard Thurston, Dean of Engineering, Oregon Institute of Technology
 • “Retail Success in Selling Biodiesel,” Dan Freeman, Dr. Dan’s Alternative Fuelwerks
• Report on Policy Workshop of previous day
10:00 to
10:30 am
 First Exhibitor Break
Chat with leading vendors and experts about farm-based energy technologies at the Harvesting Clean Energy trade show
10:30 to
11:30 am

Panel One: Biomass Power and Fuels
Overviews the technologies, ingredients of a successful project, and other key factors. In this panel, speakers will address biogas production from animal waste, crop residues for electricity generation, and biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel)

Moderator: Gretchen Borck, Washington Wheatgrowers Association
   
  • Jeff Ranney, PhD, Senior Process Specialist, Harris Group Inc., Biofuels and Bioenergy, "How Projects are Put Together"
  • Joe Barra, PGE, Director of Distributed Resources, Biogas Digestors
  • Dave Eakin, Pacific Northwest National Lab, Agribusiness Commercialization and Development Center, Biomass Electricity
• Jim Davis, Research Scientist, University of Idaho, Crops for Biodiesel Fuel
11:30 am Second Exhibitor Break
Noon Working Lunch - Panel Two: Harvesting the Wind
Addresses wind power opportunities for farmers and the nuts-n-bolts of successful projects, from large, utility-scale energy production down to on-farm applications

Moderator: Aaron Jones, Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association
  • Bonneville Power Administration, “BPA and Wind Power Development: An Update”
  • Larry Flowers, National Renewable Energy Lab, “Large and Small Wind Projects for Farms”
  • Bill Dobbins, CEO/Manager, Douglas PUD, video on farmers and wind power
1:10 pm Reconvene
1:15 to
2:00 pm		 Panel Three: Geothermal Heat for Farming and Aquaculture
This panel will discuss innovative ways farmers are directly using geothermally heated water from their land to heat greenhouses, raise fish and produce other valuable products

Moderator: Russ Hendricks, Idaho Farm Bureau
  • Kevin Rafferty, Geoheat Center
  • Tracey Liskey, Liskey Farms and 2nd VP of Oregon Farm Bureau
2:00 to
2:45 pm		 Panel Four: Irrigation and Stock Watering with the Wind and Sun
This panel will profile a range of projects for which farmers and ranchers are cost-effectively harnessing renewable energy to move water to where it is needed

Moderator: Steve Johnson, Washington PUD Association
  • Vicky Lynne/Mike Morris, National Center for Appropriate Technology - Stock Watering with Solar Power
  • Heather Rhoads-Weaver, Director, Northwest SEED - Powering Irrigation with the Wind
2:45 to
3:00 pm
 Refreshment Break
3:00 to
3:20 pm		 Special Address: Martha Choe, Director, Washington Office of Trade and Economic Development
3:20 to
4:15 pm		 Final Panel: Financing for Farm-based Energy

Moderator: Jay Gordon, Washington State Dairy Federation
  • Chris Cassidy, USDA Rural Development
 

•

 Dan Bowers, USDA Rural Utility Service
 

•

 Roger Hamilton, Energy Advisor, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
• Curtis Framel, US Department of Energy
4:15 to
4:30 pm

Final Wrap Up
What we learned… How to get more information...

4:30 pm

Reception, Exhibits open