The conference, Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance, is scheduled for October 10-12, 2006, in St. Louis.
“Never has reducing our dependence on foreign oil been such a pressing issue,” says Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. “We have the will and the means to replace significant quantities of foreign oil with homegrown fuel. We are hopeful this conference will identify major impediments and critical pathways to get more domestically grown, renewable energy sources out of the laboratory and into consumers’ hands as soon as possible.”
The event will focus on elements of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative, specifically biomass, wind and solar research and commercialization. USDA and DOE expect the conference to identify major impediments, review challenges and make recommendations to help accelerate renewable energy technology development; examine key incentives that would help promote certainty and reduce risk for investors and developers in the marketplace; review challenges of developing new distribution systems; and raise public awareness.
USDA and DOE expect conference attendees to cover a broad spectrum of interests, including: agriculture, energy, transportation, financial and investment, federal and state government, and elected officials.
