NC State to Host Wood-Based Alternative Energy Conference

National and regional leaders in forestry and wood products willconvene at North Carolina State University to explore possibilities for using wood to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels. The conference, "Energy from Wood: Exploring the Issues and Impacts for North Carolina," will be held on Monday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 14 at the Jane S. McKimmon Center.

Media coverage is invited. Media are asked to check in at the event's registration desk. The McKimmon Center is located at the intersection of Western Boulevard and Gorman Street.

The conference will kick off at 9 a.m. Monday with a series of sessions devoted to the technologies behind utilizing woody biomass as an energy source. Secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Bill Ross will deliver Monday's keynote speech during a lunch session beginning at noon.

Stan Adams, director of N.C. Forest Services, will deliver Tuesday's keynote address, titled, "Woody Biomass Markets An Economic Opportunity for North Carolina's Working Forests" at 7:30 a.m.

Conference presentations will conclude at noon Tuesday, followed by an optional tour of a nearby energy facility that has been burning wood chips since 1979.

For a full schedule of speakers and sessions, visit the Web at www.ncsu.edu/feop/Agenda20 06/energy/.