The Chesapeake Bay Commission, at Gov. Rendell’s request, held an invitation-only Chesapeake Bay Biofuels Summit in Harrisburg on September 4 as a follow-up to its Biofuels and the Bay report issued last year.

That earlier report concluded biofuels could lead to shifts in crop patterns and acreages that create an uncertain future for farmers and foresters and seriously worsen the overload of nutrients to rivers.

These activities in the Chesapeake Bay could bring about “the most profound changes to the region’s agricultural markets in the past hundred years.”

The report also concluded, “Handled correctly, biofuels have the potential to provide significant and permanent new income sources for farmers and foresters, while serving as a means to substantially reduce greenhouse gases and better manage agricultural nutrient loadings within the watershed.”

The Commission report makes a series of recommendations to mitigate the impacts of corn-based ethanol in the watershed, including: planting more riparian stream buffers, changing fertilization practices, promoting no-till farming, incorporating more organic wastes into the soil and establishing grassed waterways.

The PA Association of Conservation Districts has estimated $10 million in additional annual funding is needed to successfully deal with mitigating the additional nutrient and sediment impacts of growing biofuel feedstock in Pennsylvania alone. (See Districts Have Role to Play In Energy Independence)

Watch these Video Blog entries from key officials involved in the Summit:

· Video Blog: James Hubbard, MD House of Delegates, On Summit Objectives

· Video Blog: Ann Pesiri Swanson On Bay Biofuels Leadership

· Video Blog: Acting DEP Secretary John Hanger On Biofuels Opportunities

· Video Blog: Tom Richard, Penn State, On Status Of Biofuels Technology

You can also watch many of the presentations and discussions from the Summit online through the websites of Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), Majority Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, or Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York), a Pennsylvania member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

A new set of recommendations were released at the Summit entitled, Next Generation Biofuels: Taking the Policy Lead for the Nation, that are intended to guide future policy development throughout the watershed. They are the product of an eight-month research and policy development process lead by a select Biofuels Advisory Panel.

"I firmly believe cellulosic ethanol could be to Pennsylvania and our neighboring states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed what corn-based ethanol has been to Iowa," said Gov. Rendell. "Our region was blessed with many of the natural resources we need to develop these next generation alternative fuels. Cellulosic ethanol relies on feedstocks like wood chips and wood fibers, switchgrass, municipal waste and agricultural waste -- all things that we have in abundance throughout the region.

"If managed properly, we can grow and cultivate cellulosic feedstocks in a way that's better for our environment. If we work together and follow the recommendations put forth in this report, we can see to it that the national movement towards next generation biofuels delivers the greatest economic potential to our region. That means more jobs, less of a dependence on foreign oil, cleaner water, and, ultimately, a stronger economy, " said Gov. Rendell.

The report offers three major areas of action for states in the bay watershed to take in order to capitalize on the transition from conventional biofuels to next generation alternatives, including taking measures to assure the production of a large, reliable and accessible supply of biomass feedstocks; adopting best management practices and planting the types of biomass feedstocks that could help improve water quality if grown in the right location; and ensuring that the proper infrastructure and marketing mechanisms are in place to spur development within the region.

The report also offers 20 recommendations -- 10 for the collective region and 10 for the states to each follow.

At the regional level, recommendations include coordinating state efforts to secure federal support for next generation biofuel development, discouraging the use of invasive species, encouraging the local or on-farm use of biomass products, and establishing regional frameworks and priorities for research and development, use and outreach.

Recommendations for individual states include establishing requirements and incentives for purchasing biofuels, using best management practices for growing and harvesting feedstocks, providing incentives for creating and implementing forest management plans, and supporting the sustainable production of next-generation feedstocks on abandoned or underutilized land.

"Pennsylvania has established itself as a leader in developing alternative fuels," said Acting Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. "Under Governor Rendell, we've made strategic investments to spur the in-state production of ethanol and biodiesel, established the first state-specific retail mandate for cellulosic ethanol, and made additional resources available through the Alternative Energy Investment Fund to attract even more growth in this industry."

"The growing interest in energy self reliance and energy security could mean tremendous growth for our agriculture industry," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. "If we are able to manage biofuel development in the bay region correctly, we will have the potential to provide significant and permanent new income sources for farmers and foresters, while serving as a means to reduce greenhouse gases substantially and better manage agricultural nutrient loadings within watershed."

Forest resources, including fast-growing trees developed on abandoned mine lands and other underutilized tracts, could also play a key role in development of cellulosic ethanol in the region.

"Pennsylvania's 17 million acres of forest are being considered as a source of biomass energy feedstocks for thermal energy and liquid transportation fuels," said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. "It is critically important that we manage this irreplaceable natural resource in a sustainable manner, so that the economic and environmental benefits of biofuels can be achieved while preserving the ecosystem, habitat, water quality, recreation, and aesthetic values that our forests provide. Economic and environmental sustainability are intertwined."

For more information on attendees and documents distributed at the event, visit the Chesapeake Bay Biofuels Summit Materials webpage.

NewsClip: Report: Chesapeake Watershed Set To Lead Cellulosic Biofuels Race

Rendell Urges Alternative Energy Production

Rendell Touts Economic, Environmental Potential of Biofuels

9/5/2008