PIKETON, Ohio — With nearly 70 percent of southern Ohio’s land cover invested in farmland and forests, there are opportunities abound to convert those resources into bioenergy products and an Ohio State University workshop will explore the feasibility of producing and processing bioenergy crops.
Maurus Brown, an OSU South Centers Extension specialist, hopes these bioenergy crops will meet the growing energy demands while stimulating the local economy.
The Biofeedstock Production and Utilization of Biofuel Workshop will be held March 27 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at OSU South Centers at Piketon, Room 160, 1862 Shyville Road.
Agenda
The workshop is intended to help address questions and provide information to build interest in bioenergy feedstocks, support bioenergy research projects and explore options for processing bioenergy products to help support and create jobs throughout southern Ohio.
The session is aimed at Extension educators, NRCS soil and water district conservationists, county commissioners, elected state officials, farmers, woodlot owners, lumber mill owners and business owners.
Topics of discussion will include the future of renewable energy; environmental degradation and U.S. transition to bioenergy; feedstock availability in Ohio; opportunities in renewable energy; woody biomass feedstocks in Ohio; economics of bioenergy production; distribution and utilization of biofuels; and manufacturing biodiesel locally.
Lunchtime speaker is Ronda Kinnamon from the governor’s regional office, who will discuss energy programs.
Details
Registration is due March 20 and costs $20, which includes morning refreshments and lunch.
To register, contact Mary Gulas at 740-289-2071, ext. 132 or gulas.3@osu.edu.
