Notice of Public Meeting and Workshop
Draft Bioenergy Action Plan

The Bioenergy Interagency Working Group (Working Group) is conducting a one-day public meeting and workshop to identify and address market barriers and propose solutions for expanding bioenergy in a cost-effective manner that maximizes economic and environmental benefits. This meeting and workshop will be held:

Thursday, March 9, 2006
9:30 a.m.
CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION
1516 Ninth Street
Hearing Room A
Sacramento, California
(Wheelchair Accessible)

Note: Audio from this meeting will be broadcast over the Internet.
For details, please go to: www.energy.ca.gov/webcast/

To arrange for a call in and participate in the meeting, please dial toll-free
(888) 730-9134 by 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Passcode: Bioenergy
Call Leader: Susan Brown

Purpose

The purpose of the meeting and workshop is to solicit public review and comments on a Draft Bioenergy Action Plan (Draft Plan), prepared under contract by Navigant Consulting, Inc., for the Energy Commission on behalf of the Working Group. The Draft Plan is intended to identify ways to expand the use of biomass, biogas, biofuels, and bio-based products in California through coordinated, joint state agency efforts. The Working Group has been asked by the Governor's Office for recommended state actions to expand the markets for urban, agricultural, and forestry residues, and dedicated energy crops in California. The input from the Working Group will be considered by the Governor's Office in formulating a consistent and coordinated state strategy for expanding bioenergy use in California.

California Energy Commissioner James D. Boyd chairs the Working Group. The California Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Department of Food and Agriculture, Air Resources Board, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, State Water Resources Control Board, and the Integrated Waste Management Board participate actively in the Working Group. Commissioner Boyd and Energy Commission Chairman Joseph Desmond will be in attendance at the workshop, along with the members of the Working Group. Other Energy Commission Commissioners may attend and participate in this workshop.

The directions to the meeting location, and presentation materials will be available from the Energy Commission's website at www.energy.ca.gov in advance of the March 9 meeting and workshop. The meeting materials can also be requested by contacting Susan Brown at (916) 654-4741, by e-mail [sbrown@energy.state.ca.us], or direct mail to: Susan Brown, California Energy Commission, 1516 Ninth Street - MS 41, Sacramento, California 95814-5512.

Background

On August 23, 2005, the Governor expressed his support for the California Biomass Collaborative and asked that the Bioenergy Interagency Working Group, composed of state agencies with important biomass connections, be reinvigorated. He asked the Working Group to develop an integrated and comprehensive state policy on biomass, which includes electricity, natural gas and petroleum substitution potential. The policy should also reflect the substantial potential benefits, such as reducing municipal solid waste, which a wide range of conversion technologies can capture. The Governor further asked the Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research Program to support this initiative.

Background materials, including issue papers prepared by the California Biomass Collaborative, and a Draft Action Plan, prepared by Navigant Consulting, Inc., will be available before the workshop online at www.energy.state.ca.us/bioenergy_action_plan/.

Written Comments

Parties may submit comments in hard copy or by e-mail in Microsoft Word format or as a Portable Document File (PDF) to [docket@energy.state.ca.us], by FAX to (916) 654-4354 or in writing. The Working Group encourages comments by e-mail so that they may be posted on the Energy Commission's website.

Those submitting written comments should indicate "Docket 06-BAP-1" and mention the Bioenergy Action Plan in the subject line or initial paragraph of the comments. Parties must provide an original plus 18 paper copies to the Energy Commission's Dockets Unit. If you are filing e-mail comments, please submit the original paper copy to the Energy Commission's Dockets Unit. Oral and written comments may be either submitted the day of the workshop, or written comments can be submitted by 5 p.m. on March 17, 2006.

Please send or deliver materials to the following mailing address:

California Energy Commission
Dockets Unit
Attn: Docket No. 06-BAP-1
1516 Ninth Street, MS-4
Sacramento, CA 95814-5512

Public Participation

The Energy Commission's Public Adviser, Margret J. Kim, provides the public assistance in participating in Energy Commission activities. If you want information on how to participate in this workshop, please contact the Public Adviser's Office at (916) 654-4489 or toll free at (800) 822-6228, by FAX at (916) 654-4493, or by e-mail at [pao@energy.state.ca.us].

If you have a disability and require assistance to participate in this workshop, please contact Lou Quiroz at (916) 654-5146 at least five days in advance. Please direct all news media inquiries to Claudia Chandler, Assistant Executive Director, at (916) 654-4989. Technical questions should be directed to Susan Brown at (916) 654-4741, or by e-mail at [sbrown@energy.state.ca.us].

James D. Boyd, Commissioner and Chair Bioenergy Interagency Working Group	Joseph Desmond, Chairman and Member Bioenergy Interagency Working Group

Mail Lists:
Server list for 06-BAP-1: Bioenergy Action Plan Mailing lists: 20, 24, 30, 516, 517, 551, 552, 562, 836, 838, 839, 850, 852, 890, 895, 5501, 5502, 5503, 5504, 5505, 5506, 5507; California Biomass Collaborative Mailing List and internal mailing list for the Transportation Technology Office (alternative fuels working groups)

Date Online: February 27, 2006

Note: California Energy Commission's formal name is State of California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.