WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT
Startup business is the Bottleneck, because biomass management is a risk business! Most Economic Development, Job Training and SBA, programs are not set up to invest in risk. Venture Capital is not an option. Cal IBank needs to establish a minimum risk option, the BIOMASS MITIGATION FUND
The BIOMASS MITIGATION FUND (BMF) is a hybrid concept and was first introduced at CSUC Sustainable Institute Conference 2006 & 2007. It is designed to be a disparity adapter between small service businesses needing jumpstart operating capital without applying for time consuming grant application and waiting several months to find out it was not awarded.
-
Website purpose is intended to be a benchmark toward the future!
-
The following document links are a snapshot of the BMF purpose!
-
First BMF steering committee was in 2008 at Quad Knoph, Visalia Ca.
GCN / PG&E / PUC / BMF HISTORY
In 2008 GCN attended several PG&E meetings held to analyze impact & opportunities in the new USDA Farm Bill. In 2010 the urgency to keep Covanta in Oroville operating surfaces and GCN coordinated several workshop meetings with the PUC representative Drew Cheney. His role was a unique situation, as Drew grew up on a small walnut farm in Colusa CA. Drew understands the plight of small farming operations.
The links are 4-years of documents, the only change is more urgency, yet barriers!
BIOMASS MITIGATION FUND 2025
With 25 years empirical experience at all levels of biomass processing technologies, it gives TBC a unique perspective of the need for additional trained labor for project development. One hard to accept reality, there are 2 paths to biomass management processes. One scenario is subsidized through paid for services or grants and the other is ROI profit driven in the "TECH" world. Unfortunately, there are hurdles with both approaches. The primary areas of TBC experience are focused on the grassroots rural community level.
TBC has worked with Calif. EDC groups since the 1980’s, when renewable energy biomass power development exploded. In 1983, I was retained by Applied Power Technology (APT), Oroville to manage to feedstocks logistics for Agriculture. Unfortunately, I watched the rise and demise of the biomass power and attempts with biofuels.
Generally, Calif. EDC programs and incentives are tied to taxable real estate for commercial building and housing projects. On the community PR side, the benefit also creates jobs. The EDC role in biomass conversion economics is like trying to mix water and oil paradox. For about 30 years there have been an effort to commoditize biomass feedstock and now biochar, biomass converted for "Carbon Credits"!
Today the biomass management business is a liability, unless it is captive Urban Waste Management with curbside collection routes. Forest & Agriculture biomass logistics is very different logistics business model!
