Speakers & Schedule

We’d like to give a big Thank You to everyone who attended this year’s Sustainable Biodiesel Summit! If you are interested in helping plan SBS 2011, please contact the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance at information@fuelresponsibly.org

February 6, 2010

8:00 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Logistics
9:15 – 10:00 Keynote: Bill Holmberg The Role of Biodiesel/Biomass as a New Wealth Industry for American Recovery Bill Holmberg graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds advanced degrees in Personnel Administration, Soviet Affairs and the Russian Language.  He served for twenty-one years in the Marine Corps, nineteen of which were as an officer, and retired well decorated.  Bill brings an additional thirteen years of experience in the federal government supporting sustainable agriculture and energy technologies, with a focus on biofuels.  While at the EPA, FEO, FEA, and DOE, Bill helped to pioneer the ethanol and biodiesel industries.  He retired from the federal government at the Senior Executive Service level.  Bill spent an additional twenty-one years in the private sector, managing small businesses and associations relating to biofuels, including the New Uses Council and the Biomass Coordinating Council.  He is a founding member of the Sustainable Energy Coalition (SEC), which makes major contributions to the Senate and House Renewable and Energy Efficiency (RE & EE) Caucus.  Bill is a member of core group promoting the annual Energy Expos on the Hill in concert with the SEC and the Senate and House RE & EE Caucus.  He has been key member of the organizing committee of the Environmental and Clean Energy Inaugural Balls since 1989.

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10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break
10:30 – 12:00 Biofuels Sustainability Initiatives This session will provide participants with an update on three different initiatives to promote best practices and sustainability within the biodiesel industry.
12:00 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 Panel: First Use Feedstocks

  • Jim Heitholt, Ph.D., Crop Physiologist and Head, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Texas A&M University-Commerce Oilseed Crops in the Southern Great Plains: Which Ones Work? It is well known that many species of grass crops thrive in the Southern Great Plains but broadleaf species with high concentrations of oil in their seeds do not consistently yield well. This talk will provide a summary of how certain oilseed crops have performed recently in different sections of the region and what management challenges exist.Download Presentation
  • Randall von Wedel, Ph.D. CytoCulture LabsFirst Use Oil Feedstock Trials in FloridaDownload Presentation
2:30 – 3:30 Discussion session
3:30 – 4:00 Coffee Break
4:00 – 5:00 Panel: Second Use Feedstocks

  • Eric Gordon, GreaseGuys Waste Veggie Oil Quality Control In their committed to diverting waste veggie oil from traditional rendering outlets into the local biodiesel markets, GreaseGuys has figured out valuable collection and processing quality control practices.Download Presentation
  • Michael J. Haas, USDA Trap Grease: A Plentiful, Inexpensive, Urban Biodiesel Feedstock BlackGold Biofuels, formerly known as Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel, has tackled the problem of producing biodiesel from one of the most challenging of feedstocks: ‘Trap’ grease, which is grease recovered from collectors in the sink drains of restaurants. Very low in cost, abundant in cities, and already possessing an established infrastructure for its ‘harvesting’, trap grease could be a reasonable biodiesel feedstock. This talk will present an overview of the challenges of using trap grease in biodiesel production and an update on the construction and ongoing installation of the first BlackGold facility, in San Francisco.Download Presentation
5:00 – 6:00 Discussion session
6:00 – 6:15 Closing words
6:30 – 7:30 Wine Tasting with Cheese and Crackers

February 7, 2010

9:00 – 10:45 Panel: Biodiesel Production

  • Will Smith, Engineering Manager, Pacific Biodiesel Best Technologies for Small Producers Tight capital markets mean small producers must be very selective in choosing process technology and facility upgrades. This session provides an evaluation of technologies to improve plant efficiency, fuel quality, feedstock flexibility, and recovery of 2nd generation feedstock. The right combination will help with your bottom line and keep you at the forefront of a rapidly changing industry. Download Presentation
  • Leif Forer, Chief of Engineering, Piedmont Biofuels Making and marketing biodiesel co-products What do you do with your glycerin?  In this economy, the answer to that question can make or break a biodiesel business.  Marketing crude glycerin, fatty acids and even wet methanol can be vital to profitability.  Designing, building and operating a biorefinery can help transform costly by-products into marketable co-products. Download Presentation

Presentations followed by a facilitated discussion session
11:00 – 12:30 Building a sustainable biodiesel business in 2010

  • Clayton McMartin, President of Clean Fuels Clearinghouse and RINSTAR® The RIN Factor – Driving the Renewable Fuel Business into the Future Join Clayton McMartin, founder of the RINSTAR® Renewable Fuel Registry, as he draws from his unique experience, predicting the future of biodiesel, as it is set to change in the new business arena of an advanced renewable fuel standard (RFS2). At the heart of the federal standard for renewable fuels is the environmental credit known as the Renewable Identification Number (RIN). Participants will learn why EPA developed the RIN program as they have, how it works, and why and how it is changing.Download Presentation
  • Kelly King, Vice-President, Pacific Biodiesel Continuing the Mission: A 14-year perspective of the Biodiesel Industry A pioneer and leading entity in the biodiesel industry, Pacific Biodiesel opened the first commercial biodiesel pump in 1996, producing fuel from local waste cooking oil.  Vice President Kelly King will talk about the changes her company has seen in the industry over the past decade, from skepticism to acceptance to misinformation, and how the community-based production model has proven to be the most robust, sustainable and defensible throughout the challenging times.  Kelly will discuss how she helped leverage a strong community commitment into one of the key factors of Pacific Biodiesel’s success.Download Presentation

Presentations followed by a facilitated discussion session
12:30 – 1:00 Summit wrap up
1:00 – 5:30 Site Visit: Willie’s Place Truck Stop and Pacific Biodiesel Texas Facility Tour led by Bob King, President and Founder of Pacific Biodiesel

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SBS Press Release – Sustainable Biodiesel Summit Announced

The seventh annual Sustainable Biodiesel Summit will be held in Grapevine, Texas on February 6th and 7th, 2010. Once again community activists, backyard brewers, farmers, and those with a passion for sustainable biodiesel are coming together to discuss sustainable, community-based Biodiesel….

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