Dear Mr. Governor

The following is a letter I have sent to Governor Easley. I encourage anyone concerned about the environment or North Carolina's economy to contact him as well and urge him to promote the development of bio-refineries here in NC.

Thanks.

Dear Mr. Governor,

I would like to encourage you to take note of the great work done recently by Mr. Pataki, governor of New York. Thanks to his leadership, the state of New York and commercial partners have committed to building the country’s first bio-refinery plant. The benefits of developing this technology are significant, and it will have a positive impact of on the environment and economy of whatever states or regions are at its forefront. I strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about bio-refineries and to explore North Carolina’s potential to be a part of this critical future industry.

Briefly, a bio-refinery is a facility which processes biomass such as wood chips and small diameter lumber– products already well integrated into the forest products / paper and pulp industries in the state– into ethanol fuel, chemical derivatives, and plastic products. The material that remains after being refined can then be made into paper using the same methods and technology used to conventionally produce paper, or it can be used as fuel to directly generate electricity.

The environmental benefits of this system are tremendous. By deriving energy from renewable resources such as wood products we close the carbon cycle and significantly reduce the amount of global warming causing greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere. Additionally, levels of acid raid forming gasses like nitrogen- and sulfur-oxides would be reduced to almost trace amounts. Further, by developing a more robust market for secondary forest products like small diameter timber, forest management will be more profitable for private non-industrial forest owners. This, in turn would be a significant contribution to efforts to preserve natural space and critical wildlife habitat, by offering landowners a profitable alternative to subdivision or development.

Economically, the potential bio-refineries bring to North Carolina ought to be encouraging. It won’t be long before committed efforts to develop alternative sources of energy in the U.S. truly blossom, and indeed in many other parts of the world they already have. Those who will gain the most from this technological and industrial boom will be those who are most innovative and forward thinking. The sooner it is that our economy enters into this industry- and at some point, now or in the future, we inevitably will enter it- the more we stand to profit. Moreover, the forest-based industry has been under pressure lately as manufacturers are increasingly moving overseas. Bio-refineries will not just secure the jobs of all the North Carolina workers in this industry, but create a new a vibrant sector of the economy.

Here in North Carolina we are particularly well suited to help foster this fledgling industry. Much of the necessary infrastructure is already in place here, with numerous paper mills throughout the state, as in Riegelwood, Canton, Armour and Seaboard, to name just a few. At all of these and the other paper mills in North Carolina there are established supplies of timber and much of the necessary equipment and facilities for bio-refinery already in place. We are also generously endowed with a depth of knowledge and expertise, as a state with a long and proud history of innovative and sustainable forestry; a precedent of ground breaking, industry leading research; and academic institutions nationally recognized for their leadership in energy issues, such as App State’s Appropriate Technologies Department and NC State’s Department of Wood and Paper Science.

Again, I strongly encourage you to investigate the possibility of bringing bio-refinery technology here to North Carolina. I would be happy to answer any questions I can, but would enthusiastically refer you the experts, such as NCSU’s own Steve Kelley.

Please give this suggestion you thoughtful consideration, and please keep in mind the interests and reputation of North Carolina.

Thank you, kindly,