Connecting with the Future of Energy Forum next Tuesday

For Immediate Release:
Program to FocusOn Biomass Feedstock

Can an agricultural plant grown here in southern Illinois be used to help power electricity-generating power plants? Can the same plant replace corn as the choice feed-stock source to produce ethanol to help fuel our cars and trucks? What can this mean to southern Illinois and to our nation’s energy future?

These questions and more will be addressed at a symposium entitled ENERGY FROM THE HEARTLAND: THE ROLE OF ILLINOIS IN BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION.

The symposium, which is part of the “Connecting with the Future of Energy” series of programs, will feature three speakers with different perspectives on various issues related to the introduction of biomass products into the energy feedstock supply stream, with an emphasis on the promise of Miscanthus Giganteus.

The symposium will take place on Tuesday, November 9 beginning at 6:00PM. It will be held at the John A Logan College Conference Center. Registration and refreshments will begin at 5:30. Admission to the event is free, but advance registration is strongly encouraged.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Tom Voight, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His presentation will focus on the growing use of agricultural biomass as a growing source of energy-producing feedstock. He will provide an in-depth look at current research and production. He is particularly focused on applied, field-based research in biofuel plant propagation and production, turf species and cultivar evaluations, turf management, and native and exotic landscape grass management. Dr. Voight will address the promise of the perennial grass Miscanthus in energy production, including its role as a supplement to coal as a feedstock in coal-fired power plants.

Two panel speakers will provide added depth to the discussion. Mr. Leonard Hopkins of the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative will provide a utility company’s perspective on integrating biofeedstocks into the fuel supply. Chris Evans, a coordinator for the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area, will examine biofuel sources as potential invasive species.

The symposium is on open to the public. This program will be of particular interest to those who work or study in fields related to agriculture, plant and soil sciences, energy management, resource conservation, and alternative energy sources. Seating is limited to the first 150 reservations. To reserve a seat please contact Ms. Tammy Kirk at tammykirk@ mantracon.org or 618.998.0970, extension 215. There will be opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

Organized by Connect SI, the symposium is sponsored by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., and the SIUC Coal Research Center.