The Hawaii Agriculture Bioenergy Workshop will consider how to increase markets and new opportunities for local production of ethanol, bio-diesel and bio-power at a day-long session from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, October 27, 2006 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

E. Alan Kennett, president of Gay & Robinson, will deliver the opening keynote and Theodore Liu, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), will deliver the Governor’s message.

The first panel, “The Demand for Bioenergy Now and Future,” will include Dr. Karl Stahlkopf of Hawaiian Electric Company; Jeff Deren of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative; Bob King, president of Pacific Biodiesel; Lee Jakeway of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. and Larry Adams of Aloha Petroleum, with Maurice Kaya of DBEDT’s Strategic Industries Division as moderator.

A panel titled, “Resources to Meet the Challenge,” will include representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and DBEDT.  The panel titled “Hawaii Crop Production Opportunities: What grows, what flows, what burns”, will include representatives of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center. A representative of the Rocky Mountain Institute will report on recommendations for development and cnversion of fuel crops as requested by the 2006 legislature under HCR 195. Finally, breakout sessions will explore: Economic Analysis and Technical Feasibility; Business Partnering; and Production Resources.
 
The workshop is open to the general public including farmers, landowners, the business community, renewable energy advocates and others who seek to speed expansion of Hawaii’s bioenergy industry by bridging the gap between policy and implementation.

The Hawaii Legislature recently established a 20% Alternative Fuels Standard by 2020. This new goal, with the 20% Renewable Portfolio Standard for electricity and 10% ethanol mandate, is focusing attention on Hawaii’s capacity for local production of biofuels and bio-power.

This workshop will follow Ag2006, the biennial Hawaii Agriculture Conference, a separate event held the previous day.  The workshop’s goals are to provide information on recent legislation, publicize federal and state incentives and funding opportunities, increase collaboration and develop action steps to keep the momentum going on bioenergy crop production.

Workshop organizers include the Hawaii Department of Agriculture; DBEDT; U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development, CTAHR, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum. Sponsorship funding is provided by HECO, Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, DBEDT and the U.S. Department of Energy,

Registration is $50 per person and includes lunch.  To register, or for more information, go to www.agconference.org or call 947-2914.