Waugh to Participate in Biofuels Summit Being Held in Harrisburg

Chesapeake Bay Biofuels Summit

HARRISBURG – As a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC), Senator Mike Waugh (R-York), will be participating in the upcoming Biofuels Summit being jointly sponsored by the CBC and Governor Rendell scheduled for September 4, 2008, in Harrisburg.

"Pennsylvania is on the cutting edge of the biofuels industry, and I am pleased that we will serve as the host for this summit," said Waugh, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1317, the Farms to Fuels Initiative Act, which would provide incentives to growers of bioenergy crops for use in cellulosic ethanol.

Summit attendees will hear from presenters discussing biofuels in relationship to a cleaner Chesapeake Bay, biofuel's role in improving national and energy security, and the role the Chesapeake Bay Region can play in the development of biofuels.

Presenters include: Dr. Chris Somerville, Director of the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California, Berkeley; Retired Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs; Maryland State Delegate Jim Hubbard, Chairman of the CBC's Biofuels Advisory Panel; Bill Matuszeski, Project Consultant and former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office; and Allen Rider, a member of the CBC's Biofuels Advisory Panel and retired President of New Holland North America.

Following a Keynote Luncheon with Chuck Leavell, owner of Charlane Plantation in Georgia and author of Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest, attendees will participate in state-specific discussions and a regional roundtable discussion moderated by Ernie Shea, President of Natural Resource Solutions, LLC based in Lutherville, MD.

"I look forward to utilizing the expertise of these individuals from across the country to move the Commonwealth forward in the development of biofuels," said Waugh.  "Pennsylvania is certainly in a position to be a leader in this industry."

Greg Fajt, Chief of Staff for Governor Rendell, is scheduled to speak on behalf of Pennsylvania's efforts to be a leader in the biofuels market.

While the summit is an invitation-only event, media are encouraged to attend, and interested parties can view a live video feed of the summit on Waugh's website at www.senatorwaugh.com.

Created in 1980, the Chesapeake Bay Commission is a tri-state group that serves in an advisory role to the members of the General Assemblies of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia on matters of Bay-wide concern.  Of its 21 members, 15 are lawmakers – five each from PA, MD, and VA.