¦EDITOR’S NOTE
Zeroing in on Power and Thermal
RONA JOHNSON Editor rjohnson@bbiinternational.com
I am pleased to announce that Biomass Magazine is now Biomass Power & Thermal. Although it may look like a subtle change on the magazine cover, it is an important transformation in content. As the new title implies, we will strictly cover biomass-based electricity and heat. Historically this magazine also reported on biomass fuels and chemicals, however these topics are now the dedicated the focus of BBI International’s new publication Biorefining. The magazine's title and scope were changed because biomass involves a vast array of feedstocks and technologies and we want to provide readers with ample coverage of all aspects of the industry. It also allows readers and advertisers to hone in on their area of expertise, whether its biomass power, heat, fuels or chemicals. Specifically, it allows the staff of Biomass Power & Thermal to drill even deeper into every facet of biomass power and thermal including producers, feedstocks, technologies, research and development, project development, transportation and storage logistics, state and local legislation, advocacy groups, businesses and people. When we first started the magazine three years ago, we quickly realized that other than the feedstocks they use, there is a vast divide between the power and thermal, and biofuel and chemical spheres. The most obvious being the prolonged existence of the use of biomass for heat and power versus the nascent biofuels and biochemical industries. There are also a myriad of state and federal rules and regulations, programs and funding opportunities, and environmental challenges that affect all users of biomass that deserve more concentrated coverage. While these industries are forced to compete for attention and funding from state and federal governments, we wanted to make sure they didn’t have to fight for space in our publications. As our mission statement establishes: Biomass Power & Thermal’s international readership includes owners and managers of biomass power, combined heat and power, and district heating facilities; pellet manufacturing plant owners and managers; professionals working in captive feedstock industries—from food processing and waste management to agriculture and forest products manufacturing—and a growing number of industrial manufacturers, municipal decision makers, researchers, and technology providers engaged in biomass utilization globally. As a reader, I would see this as a sign that BBI International is confident in the use of biomass as a substitute for fossil fuels and that all of these industries will continue to flourish. The space below this column will be used to showcase associate editors, contributors or for letters to the editor. This week we are highlighting our associate editors.
For more news, information and perspective, visit www.biomassmagazine.com
Associate Editors Lisa Gibson authored the cover story “Supply, Supply, Supply” to echo a theme we’ve been hearing at our regional biomass conferences about the importance of having signed fuel supply agreements when developing biomass power projects. Gibson also profiled a waste-to-energy project in San Jose, Calif., that should serve as a model for other cities.
Anna Austin wrote the “Cogeneration Sensation” feature to get a sense of the interest in combined-heat-and-power systems, determine who are the best candidates for installation and find out what kinds of challenges and opportunities developers are facing.
ANNA AUSTIN
LISA GIBSON
Associate Editor aaustin@bbiinternational.com
Associate Editor lgibson@bbiinternational.com
4 BIOMASS POWER & THERMAL | OCTOBER 2010