Introduction  

Finding the most efficient use of biomass for energy presents a significant technical challenge, a challenge complicated by competing provincial, state and federal political landscapes in which environmental, industrial, and social goals each presume different roles for the biomass resource.

For this year’s conference we have identified a handful of priority questions that will be discussed by senior policy-makers and academic researchers and by industry practitioners who will speak firsthand about biomass-to-energy hurdles and opportunities.

As you will see from the agenda in this program, we have divided the day into four segments. The first will examine the financial questions of how to extract the most value from a biomass supply chain and also look at some practical issues about reaping bio-energy. The second session will present the view from industry players who are successfully navigating those financial and practical challenges. The third will look at the place of carbon in the bio-equation. And in the fourth session, with all those other pieces of the puzzle in mind, our panel will consider policy possibilities and attempt to look forward from where we are today.

Two years ago, the first Queen’s Biomass-for-Energy conference offered the suggestion that the use of renewable bio-based energy sources was a topic that deserved wider attention. Two short years later development has been so rapid that industry now has successes to report, policy-makers have legislation to discuss, and many new questions have arisen and now require answers.

 

Sunday, 30 May 2010
Location: Ban Righ Hall, Queen's University
15:30	Registration Desk Opens
17:30	Reception
19:00	Dinner Dinner Speaker: The Honourable John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment Introduced by Daniel Woolf, Principal, Queen's University
Monday, 31 May 2010
7:00	Breakfast
8:00	Opening Remarks   Speaker: Colin Andersen, Ontario Power Authority [PDF] Introduced by Kerry Rowe, VP Research, Queen's University
8:30	Session 1: Opportunities for Bioenergy in Ontario and Beyond
	Chair: George Ross, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Don Roberts, CIBC World Markets Ian McDonald, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs [PDF] Jake DeBruyn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs [PDF]
10:00	Break
10:30	Session 2: Challenges of Implementing Bioenergy Options
	Chair: Phil Malcolmson, Assistant Deputy Minister (Acting), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jonathan Wilkinson, Nexterra Energy [PDF] Randall Goodfellow, Ensyn [PDF] Timothy Haig, Biox
12:00	Lunch   Lunch Speaker: Steven Liss, Associate Vice-President for Research, University of Guelph [PDF] Introduced by Peter Harrison, Director, School of Policy Studies, Queen's University
12:30	Session 3: Bioenergy and Carbon Implications
	Chair: James Sidlofsky, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais Healther MacLean & Jon McKechnie, University of Toronto [PDF] Richard Damecour, FVB Energy [PDF] David Layzell, University of Calgary, ISEE [PDF]
15:00	Break
15:30	Session 4: Policy Perspectives
	Chair: David Lindsay, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Kris Stevens, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association Jason Linkewich, Tembec [PDF] James Meadowcroft, Carleton University

Special Guest Speakers

Hon. John Gerretsen

Ontario Ministry of Environment

John Gerretsen was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1995 to represent Kingston and The Islands. He was re-elected in 1999, 2003 and 2007. In October of 2007, he was appointed Minister of the Environment. He previously served as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing from 2003 to 2007 and also as Minister Responsible for Seniors. Minister Gerretsen’s top priority as Minister of the Environment has been to guide the implementation of the government’s climate change action plan including meeting targeted greenhouse gas reductions of 6% by 2014 and 15% by 2020. In addition to historic investments in public transit and phasing out coal-fired electricity generation by 2014, a key component of Ontario’s climate change action plan includes the development of a cap-and-trade program. Legislation providing for a cap and trade program to allow Ontario to link to other systems in North America and abroad was passed by the Ontario Legislature in December 2009.

A graduate of Queen’s University, Minister Gerretsen has practiced law in Kingston since 1971.

Colin Andersen

Ontario Power Authority

Colin Andersen was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) in September 2008 Prior to joining the OPA, Mr. Andersen held a variety of senior financial and policy positions in the Ontario Public Service, playing a lead role in asset management, infrastructure investments and intergovernmental negotiations. Most recently, he was Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Finance; Secretary of Treasury Board; Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Revenue; Chair of the Ontario Financing Authority and Chair of the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation. Mr. Andersen has a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary. The OPA is responsible for ensuring a reliable, long-term supply of electricity for Ontario, focusing on promoting conservation, planning for the long term, and procuring generation resources.

Steven Liss

University of Guelph

Steven N. Liss is the Associate Vice-President for Research at the University of Guelph, and is a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. He holds a BSc (Hons) in microbiology and immunology from the University of Western Ontario, and a Masters and PhD in applied microbiology from the University of Saskatchewan. Professor Liss serves on numerous boards and management committees including Ontario Agrifood Technologies and the Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation Network. He has chaired the Ontario Research Fund Research Excellence Program Panel for Environment and Emerging Technologies. His research interests encompass environmental biotechnology and biorefinery approaches to waste management, including energy production. An internationally recognized researcher, Professor Liss is well known for his work on microbial structures and processes in natural and engineered environmental systems. On September 1, 2010, Professor Liss will become the new Vice-Principal Research at Queen’s University.

Session 1: Opportunities for Bioenergy in Ontario and Beyond

George Ross

Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services

George Ross was appointed Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation in January 2008 and Deputy Minister of Consumer Services in February 2010. As Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation, Mr. Ross has been instrumental in developing and advancing Ontario’s Innovation Agenda. He has managed key initiatives to advance Ontario’s position as a leading innovation jurisdiction, including establishing the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy and completing the review of Ontario’s Commercialization Network. Mr. Ross has also been responsible for leading major government investments crucial to enhancing Ontario’s knowledge economy, including the $205-million Ontario Venture Capital Fund, and the $250-million Ontario Emerging Technologies Fund aimed at investing in Ontario’s strong, innovative companies. Mr. Ross also oversees the government’s flagship research funding program, the Ontario Research Fund, including its new $100-million Global Leadership Round in Genomics and Life Sciences (GL2) and the $50-million Innovation Demonstration Fund aimed at building strength in Ontario’s clean technology sector.

Don Roberts

CIBC World Markets

Don Roberts is a Vice-Chairman of CIBC Wholesale Banking, and Managing Director in Investment Banking. He is responsible for the bank’s corporate lending, debt and equity financing, M&A advisory and trading activities across the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology sectors, and is also actively involved in the Forest Products industry. Mr. Roberts is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Forest Resource Management at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). Prior to assuming his current position, he was consistently rated among the top-ranked equity research analysts in the global paper & forest products industry over a 15-year period. He was also previously the Chief Economist for the Canadian Forest Service. Mr. Roberts has a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of British Columbia, a Master’s degree in Forestry Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, and both an MBA and doctoral studies in International Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago. He is also a certified Board Director with the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Ian McDonald

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Ian McDonald has been the Applied Research Coordinator for the Field Crops Unit of the Agriculture Development Branch of OMAFRA since 2000. He is based at the University of Guelph where he works with academic farm organizations such as OSCIA, OMAFRA, OFA and others to validate research successes within the scope of farm-based adoption. Previously Ian spent 15 years working on pesticide research for two multinational companies. He has been working closely within and beyond OMAFRA and University of Guelph on the potential opportunities of the emerging bioeconomy and is most interested in the sustainable supply of new and existing agricultural feedstock’s and their interaction with the conversion side of the bioeconomy equation.

Jake DeBruyn

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Jake DeBruyn is the New Technology Integration Engineer for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Jake is based in the Guelph office and covers Halton and Peel Regions for environmental and farm nuisance issues under the Farming and Food Production Protection Act. Jake’s work over the last few years at the Ministry has spanned from Nutrient Management to odour to washwater, and most recently to energy opportunities. Jake’s primary role recently has been in kick-starting the biogas industry in Ontario. He is expanding his focus in solar and biomass opportunities as well.

Session 2: Challenges for Implementing Bioenergy Options

Phil Malcolmson

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Phil has been with the Ontario Public Service since 1987, engaged in a number of policy and programming responsibilities. Recent senior management responsibilities include negotiation of a new $300M Partnership Agreement between OMAFRA and the University of Guelph, Director of the ministry’s Strategic Policy Branch, and, since early 2009, Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy with responsibility spanning farm risk management, food safety/ environmental, and biofuels/ bioproducts, and federal-provincial agricultural policy. Phil is a member of the Canadian Agricultural Policy Institute (CAPI) and the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agricultural Assistant Deputy Ministers (Policy) committee. Phil has an undergraduate degree in Economics/Political Science from the University of Toronto and a Masters’ degree in Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario

Jonathan Wilkinson

Nexterra Energy

Jonathan is Senior Vice President, Business Development with Nexterra Systems Corporation, a world leader in the development and supply of biomass gasification solutions. Prior to joining Nexterra Jonathan was President and CEO of QuestAir Technologies – a publicly-traded technology company with activities in clean energy and traditional energy markets. Before assuming the CEO role Jonathan held the positions of COO and Vice-President, Business Development. Prior to joining QuestAir, Jonathan was a Manager at Bain and Company, one of the world’s leading strategy-consulting firms. Jonathan also has previous experience in the public sector having served as a constitutional negotiator, a federal-provincial relations specialist, and a Special Advisor to a provincial Premier. A Rhodes Scholar, Jonathan has obtained degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Oxford University, and McGill University. Jonathan is presently Vice-Chair of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation and is the immediate past-Chair of the British Columbia Technology Industries Association (BCTIA).

Randall Goodfellow

Ensyn

Randall is Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations at Ensyn. When Randall joined Ensyn in 2008, he was already well known to the company, as Ensyn had been a longstanding client of his consulting firm. In his current capacity, he oversees the public affairs, government relations and communications activities of the company. A consultant since 1991, Randall has advised senior executives from the private, public and academic sectors on policy and communications issues related to bio-energy, bio-chemicals and renewable resource product generation. He was the founding President of BioProducts Canada, and holds a BSc (Agr) from McGill University.

Timothy Haig

BIOX Corporation

Tim has over 20 years in the field of strategic business development with an emphasis on environmental technologies and engineering. Prior to co-founding BIOX Corporation and acting in the capacity of President and Chief Executive Officer, Tim held several senior management positions with high profile organizations both in Canada and the United Kingdom such as Marketing Director of Ove Arup & Partners as well as Director of Strategy and Development for Tarmac, Black and Veatch. In addition, Tim was a principal in CMA Associates which promoted, developed and financed several major wind farms across Europe. Tim is currently an Executive Board Member and Past Chair of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, he also sits on the Executive of the National Round Table on the Environment and Economics. Tim received his MBA in London, England and his degree as an Industrial Engineer from the Royal Military College of Canada. He served in the Canadian Forces (Army) for 10 years as an officer

Session 3: Bioenergy and Carbon Implications

James Sidlofsky

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

James Sidlofsky advises electricity distributors, generators and retailers, and industrial and commercial electricity consumers, on a wide range of regulatory matters. James represents clients before the Ontario Energy Board in electricity and natural gas-related matters. He served as Chair of the Industry Task Force on Distributed Generation, a volunteer group consisting of approximately 70 industry participants, including consumers, distributors and retailers/marketers in the electricity and gas sectors, with an interest in furthering the establishment of policies that would create a supportive environment for the development of DG projects. He is Chair of the Board of Directors of WADE Canada, the Canadian affiliate of the World Alliance for Decentralized Energy. James holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Guelph, LL.B. from the University of Toronto and a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario. He was Called to the Ontario Bar in 1988.

Heather L. MacLean

University of Toronto

Heather L. MacLean is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, with cross-appointments to the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto. She received a joint Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from Saint Mary’s University and a B.Eng. from Dalhousie University. Professor MacLean’s expertise is in the field of energy systems analysis, and more specifically, assessment of alternative energy and infrastructure systems with a focus on the transportation and electricity generation sectors. For the last decade her research has examined a large set of bioenergy systems, examining their environmental and techno-economic implications. She has worked closely with the automotive, transportation fuels and electricity industries as well as federal and provincial governments.

Richard Damecour

FVB Energy Inc.

Richard Damecour has over 30 years experience in the energy industry, including 12 years in oil and gas, and for the past 18 years has helped to develop at least 20 new district energy systems that have been successfully brought into service in North America and the Middle East. Experience of district energy in many different environments gives Richard a broad view that is useful in identifying key business issues in particular circumstances, ranking alternative scenarios and communicating the pertinent points effectively to clients. Richard’s stature in this industry is indicated by the facts that he is currently the elected Vice-Chair of the Canadian District Energy Association and a former Marketing Chair of the International District Energy Association. Richard is a registered professional engineer in the Province of Ontario and has an MBA from the University of Alberta.

David B. Layzell

Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment & Economy (ISEEE)

David Layzell is the Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE) at the University of Calgary. He came to Calgary in 2008 after a distinguished, 27-year career as a Queen’s University Professor, with appointments in Biology, Environmental Studies and Policy Studies. Between 1998 and 2008, Dr. Layzell established and led BIOCAP Canada, a national university research foundation focused on developing biology-based solutions to climate change and energy security. He is also the co-founder of Qubit Systems Inc, a university spin-off company that designs, builds and markets instruments for research and teaching in the biological and environmental sciences. His research contributions have led to NSERC’s University Research and Steacie Fellowships, the C.D. Nelson Award and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Session 4: Policy Perspectives

David Lindsay

Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry

David Lindsay was appointed Deputy Minister, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry as of July 27, 2009. Prior to this appointment, David Lindsay had been Deputy Minister of Natural Resources since January 2008. Previously, he was Deputy with the Ministry of Tourism from September 2006 to December 2007. Prior to this, he was President and CEO of the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO), representing the 24 community colleges of Ontario.

Before joining ACAATO in August 2004, David was the founding President and CEO of the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation. From September l997 to December l999, he headed up the Ontario Jobs and Investment Board as President and CEO. The Jobs and Investment Board played an important role in the government’s jobs agenda, holding Premier’s Conferences around the province and presenting its final report to the Premier in March l999, "A Road Map to Prosperity: an Economic Plan for Jobs in the 2lst Century".

Kris Stevens

Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

Kristopher Stevens is a frequent speaker on sustainable energy and Community Power across North America. He specializes in stakeholder engagement, sustainable energy policy, corporate communications and strategic planning. Throughout his colourful career, Kristopher has recruited executives for Fortune 500 multinationals, hosted a popular South Korean radio program, researched economic reform in Africa and the sensitive topic of social friction in Ontario’s electricity sector, and served as the founding chair of the Green Energy Act Alliance, which led the successful campaign for Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act. Kristopher has served as the Chair of the Board of York Sustainable Enterprise Consultants for the past 3 years and is regularly asked to take part in Hydro One, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Ontario Power Authority and Ontario Energy Board advisory and working groups. He is the executive director of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, which actively champions Community Power and the evolution of Ontario’s electricity sector to 100% sustainable energy

Jason Linkewich

Tembec

Jason has over 16 years of industry experience within the forest products sector. He began his career as a sawmill controller and was ultimately appointed Vice President - Fibre Supply Strategy for Tembec, a position he has held since April 2003. Jason has been involved in Forest Products strategy throughout his career and has been active in optimizing Forest Products Supply Chain both to procure and sell products for Tembec. Originally from Thunder Bay, Jason graduated from Lakehead University with an Honors Bachelor of Commerce in 1993 with a concentration in Accounting and Marketing. He also obtained his Certified Management Accountant designation in 1995. In addition to acquiring his designation, Jason has been active within the Ontario Society of Management of Accountants serving two terms on their board of governors and one term as chair of the board (2004-05).

James Meadowcroft

Carleton University

James Meadowcroft is a Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, and in the Department of Political Science, at Carleton University in Ottawa. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Governance for Sustainable Development. His research focuses on reforms to structures and processes of governance as political systems manage issues of sustainability. Recent contributions include work on public participation, sustainable development partnerships, planning for sustainability, national sustainable development strategies, environmental governance, socio-technical transitions and sustainable energy policy. His volume Caching the Carbon: the Politics and Policy of CarbonCapture and Storage (co-edited with Oluf Langhelle) was published by Edward Elgar in 2010. James Meadowcroft has also served as Co-Editor of the International Political Review and Associate Editor of the Journal of Political Ideologies. 

Warren Mabee, Director

Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy