Bioenergy Gasification & Climate Priorities

Speakers Julia Levin, Executive Director of BioEnergy Association of California and Josiah Hunt CEO of Pacific Biochar provided attendees with an overview of Bioenergy Gasification and Climate Priorities.

Julia has served as the Executive Director of BioEnergy Association of California since its inception. Prior to that, Julia served as the Deputy Secretary for Climate Change & Energy at the California Resources Agency and has served as a Commissioner on the California Energy Commission. She has over 25 years of experience in Renewable Energy and Climate Policy and as a chair of various inter-agency action teams. Julia has a B.A. from Brown University and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Josiah is founder and CEO of Pacific Biochar. He graduated from University of Hawaii Hilo in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Agroecology and Environmental Quality. Since 2008 he has helped to pioneer methods for biochar production, processing, and application in farming systems using organic and biological approaches. He is the technical advisor on multiple National and International projects.

Through the presentation, we learned about BECCS & Biochar that can help reduce short lived climate pollutant emissions, such as methane and black carbon, which are among the most damaging climate pollutants. California can convert forest waste to fossil-fuel alternatives and provide bioenergy as a byproduct, which has negative carbon emissions. Biochar helps improve soil quality as well. We learned about the Humboldt Saw-mill Life Cycle Analysis, as well as the Loyalton Cogeneration facility where proprietary technology biochar is produced via pyrolysis and steam is produced for power generation.