COMMERCIAL CONTACTS AND DIRECTORIES OF COMMERCIAL FIRMS

AgStar Guide to Technology Providers including consultants, developers, manufacturers and distributors (from U.S. EPA): http://www.epa.gov/agstar/tech/index.html.
Anergen. Anergen is dedicated to providing cost-effective, innovative, waste-to-energy systems, utilizing an advanced biochemical process that benefits our clients, society and the environment. http://www.anergen.net/. Contact Mark Barber, (847) 236-0900, ext. 14.
Biomass Energy Products and Services Directory (from U.S. Department of Energy, Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network Web site): http://www.eren.doe.gov/RE/bioenergy-products.html.
CleanEdge. A market research and consulting firm that serves the clean-tech marketplace, CleanEdge's mission is to help investors, industry, and society understand and profit from the emerging clean-tech revolution. Web site includes an extensive directory, with descriptions and links for clean-tech trade associations, government programs, research labs, and other resources. www.cleanedge.com.
EnSave Energy Performance. EnSave works with investor owned utilities, state run Public Benefit Corporations, Coops, and non-profits to devise and deliver energy efficient programs to farming customers. Programs are delivered in conjunction with USDA Farm Service Agency, local Farm Bureaus, Cooperative Extension Services, and various state Agriculture Departments. http://www.ensave.com/. Contact Craig Metz, (800) 732-1399.
Living Machines & Living Technologies: Inspired by ecosystems as old as the Earth itself, Living Machines, Inc. designs and operates Living Machines®, revolutionary natural wastewater treatment and reclamation systems that accelerate nature’s own water purification process. http://www.livingtechnologies.com.
STM Power Inc. (formerly Stirling Thermal Motors) is an Ann Arbor, Michigan, developer of on-site, electricity and cogeneration systems using a proprietary four-cylinder adaptation of external heat (Stirling-cycle) engine technology. STM has already worked to develop small-scale bio-gas fired systems, with waste heat recovery. http://www.stmpower.com/.
SunPower (Stirling Engines). Specialists in micro-generation -- all the way down to 1 kW in size -- using biomass fuels. http://www.sunpower.com/.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND PROGRAMS: FEDERAL

AgStar: A joint project of U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Energy, AgStar encourages the use of methane recovery technologies at confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that manage manures as liquids or slurries. http://www.epa.gov/agstar/. AgStar is one program that is part of the Methane and Sequestration Branch Programs (http://www.epa.gov/methane/), in the Climate Protection Partnerships Division (http://www.epa.gov/cpd/) at U.S. EPA. Other Methane and Sequestration Branch Programs related to agriculture include the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (http://www.epa.gov/lmop/) and Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program (http://www.epa.gov/rlep/).
U.S. Department of Agriculture. See especially Web pages for U.S.D.A. Sustainable Development (http://www.usda.gov/oce/sdsf2/sdhome.htm) and Rural Business Cooperative Service http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/bprogs.htm.
Biomass Energy Topics and Resources (U.S. Department of Energy): http://www.eren.doe.gov/RE/bioenergy.html.
Rural Economic Growth (EREN Bioenergy Search Results): Producing biomass and using agricultural residues for bioenergy technologies will stimulate rural development efforts in farming, forestry, and associated service industries by creating new products, markets, and jobs.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND PROGRAMS: STATE, COUNTY, LOCAL

Michigan Biomass Energy Program: The goal of the Michigan Biomass Energy Program is to encourage increased production capacity for biomass energy derived from Michigan's resources through program policies, information dissemination, and demonstration projects. Projects which increase the production capacity and use of biomass energy can improve Michigan's environmental quality, energy security, and economic viability. http://www.michiganbioenergy.org/.
Michigan Department of Agriculture: The Michigan Department of Agriculture plays a leadership role in innovative environmental stewardship programs that have garnered national acclaim and serve as models for other states interested in pursuing active agricultural-environmental partnerships. http://www.mda.state.mi.us/environm/index.html.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Pollution Prevention (P2) Section. Guided by the Michigan Agricultural Pollution Prevention Strategy, the AgP2 program builds on current programs and improves coordination among the public agencies that offer environmental services to farmers and their suppliers, while promoting P2 and Green Technologies. http://www.deq.state.mi.us/ead/p2sect/.

NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICES

GreenClips. An electronic mail based news digest on sustainable building design and related government and business issues, published every two weeks. www.greendesign.net/greenclips/.
Green Energy News. www.nrglink.com.
SolarAccess.com. Started in 1998 by a group of Renewable Energy professionals. A source for Renewable Energy on the Internet, Daily News Covering Renewable Energy Worldwide; Renewable Energy Marketplace; Electronic Classified Ads; Comprehensive Industry Events Calendar; plus lots more! www.solaraccess.com.

RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION ORGANIZATIONS

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA): is the national sustainable farming information center operated by the private nonprofit National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). ATTRA provides technical assistance to farmers, Extension agents, market gardeners, agricultural researchers, and other agriculture professionals in all 50 states. Topics addressed by ATTRA can be categorized into three broad areas: (1) sustainable farming production practices; (2) alternative crop and livestock enterprises; and (3) innovative marketing. Technical assistance, publications, and resources are provided free of charge to appropriate users. http://www.attra.org/.
Biomimicry: Biomimicry – the title of a 1997 book by Janine Benyus -- is a new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes inspiration from natural designs and processes to solve human problems. http://www.biomimicry.org.
CADDET Renewable Energy: CADDET Renewable Energy is an International Energy Agency agreement for the exchange of information on commercial renewable energy projects and has been operating since 1993. CADDET stands for Centre for the Analysis and Dissemination of Demonstrated Energy Technologies. CADDET has one division devoted to renewable energy and another to energy efficiency. http://www.caddet.org.
Carbohydrate Economy Clearinghouse: Carbohydrates, the building blocks of plant matter, can be converted into chemicals, energy, textiles, building materials, paper, and many other industrial products. The Institute of Local Self-Reliance calls this new materials base a "carbohydrate economy." A carbohydrate economy reduces pollution, builds stronger rural communities, and supports a rooted, farmer-owned processing and manufacturing sector. http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org/.
Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. The Center for Sustainable Systems develops life-cycle models and sustainability metrics to evaluate performance and guide continuous improvement of industrial systems for meeting societal needs. CSS promotes sustainability by developing these tools and knowledge in collaboration with diverse stakeholders so that better informed decisions are made. http://css.snre.umich.edu/.
CREST-REPP – The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST) and Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP). http://www.crest.org/bioenergy/index.html.
Cow Power. U.S. EPA web site about manure-to-methane energy systems. http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/greenhouse/greenhouse15/cow.html.
Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW). Several biomass-energy research projects are underway, and reports available. See: http://www.ecw.org/ecw/searchresults.jsp?query=Biomass&go.x=0&go.y=0, and http://www.ecw.org/ecw/infopackages.jsp.
Great Lakes Regional Biomass Energy Program. The Council of Great Lakes Governors administers this U.S. Department of Energy regional program, designed to encourage greater production and use of biomass for energy generation. Each State in the Great Lakes Region has a state-level biomass energy program that works in conjunction with this regional program. This includes the Michigan Biomass Energy Program (see below), as well as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. http://www.cglg.org/projects/biomass/index.html.
Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Energy Strategies. Ideas and information about energy related projects and products for the agricultural sector. http://energy.cas.psu.edu/.
Rocky Mountain Institute. Rocky Mountain Institute is an entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to create a more secure, prosperous, and life-sustaining world. RMI shows businesses, communities, individuals, and governments how to create more wealth and employment, protect and enhance natural and human capital, increase profit and competitive advantage, and enjoy many other benefits—largely by doing what they do far more efficiently. http://www.rmi.org. See also this newsletter article about how England’s top hard cider maker is working to revise its business along ZERI principles (see Zero Emissions Research and Intiatives, below): http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/art7050.php.
SectorStar is an environmental performance information resource, available online. One of the sectors that is outlined on the SectorStar Web site is Meat and Poultry Processing. This network will help businesses, states and communities find useful, targeted information on environmental innovation and excellence. SectorSTAR (short for Industry Sector-based Environmental Strategies, Tools And R esources) is a free service backed by the experience and technical expertise of the Global Environment & Technology Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation. http://www.sectorstar.org/sector/MeatProcessing/.
Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (Tokyo, Japan). ZERI seeks to improve the profitability of manufacturing while reducing environmental impact by striving for zero waste. ZERI is the brainchild of Belgian economist and entrepreneur Gunter Pauli. Pauli pushed the frontiers of corporate environmentalism and drew world-wide attention as owner, president, and CEO of Ecover, an "eco-factory" producing environmentally benign cleansers. But however green Ecover's operation became, it could only reduce waste, not eliminate it completely. This limitation gave rise to Pauli's Zero Emissions vision: multi-industry clusters of factories, in which emissions from one plant are used as inputs by another. The trick, according to Pauli, is finding the "missing links" to complete the cycles. See: http://www.zeri.org, http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/database/231.html, and http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/business/ng_chp3.shtml.

TRADE AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

American Bioenergy Association: is an advocate for progress in the production of power, transportation fuels, and chemicals from biomass. Working with others in the energy and environmental communities, the ABA will seek to build support in the federal government for the biomass industry through tax incentives, increased biomass research and development budgets, regulations and other policy initiatives. http://www.biomass.org.
Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society (BEDPS). Founded in 1991, as a non-profit professional society, the mission of the BEDPS is to encourage research, education and training and to facilitate information exchange among researchers with diverse interests, both as they relate to degradable polymers and to environmental aspects of polymers. www.bedps.org.
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association is a non-profit organization that educates, advocates, promotes, and publicly demonstrates renewable energy technologies. http://www.glrea.org.
Michigan Agriculture Electric Council (MAEC) serves as an information and educational source regarding electrical issues for farmers, extension agents, veterinarians, and anybody involved with agriculture in Michigan. http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/.
Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP): MAEAP’s mission is to develop and promote a recognized, voluntary, proactive environmental assurance program, targeted to the agricultural industry, which ensures that producers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and are in compliance with environmental regulations. http://www.maeap.org.
Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD): MACD is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of Michigan's 82 Conservation Districts. MACD conducts campaigns and programs to strengthen Conservation Districts, and encourages land users to adopt conservation practices that protect soil, water, and related natural resources. http://www.macd.org/macdset.html.
Michigan Commodity Organizations. The Michigan Department of Agriculture web site maintains a directory of commodity organizations, with links to their web sites. www.mda.state.mi.us/Resource/thirteen_one.htm.
Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS): MIFFS is a collaborative effort to create and support more sustainable food and agriculture systems for producers and consumers in Michigan. Agricultural productivity, economic viability, environmental protection, resource efficiency, and strong communities are all important goals of MIFFS. http://www.msu.edu/user/miffs/.
Michigan State Sustainable Agriculture Network (Michigan State University): MSAN is a student-led Michigan State University (MSU) organization that provides opportunities to learn and participate in sustainable agriculture. http://www.msue.msu.edu/misanet/msan01.html.
Midwest Renewable Energy Association. The Midwest Renewable Energy Association is a nonprofit network for sharing ideas, resources, and information with individuals, businesses, and communities to promote a sustainable future through renewable energy and energy efficiency. http://www.the-mrea.org/.
Midwest Rural Energy Council. The Midwest Rural Energy Council [formerly the Wisconsin Farm Electric Council] is a non-profit organization formed by utilities based in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The council was founded in 1954 as a cooperative program between the investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Engineering Department. In December 1997, the board approved the merger with utilities in Minnesota and the University of Minnesota. The merger became effective March 26, 1999. The Midwest Rural Energy Council is dedicated to serving a variety of groups including: agriculture and other rural energy consumers youth and farm organizations the electrical equipment industry regulatory agencies, and education and research institutions. The mission of the MREC is to initiate, develop, support and coordinate education, research and communication programs on significant and emerging rural energy issues for the consumer, energy suppliers and allied industries through cooperative efforts of its members. http://www.mrec.org.
National Food & Energy Council. The NFEC is an association of nearly 200 electric companies, cooperatives and public power districts. Helping our members serve their rural customers is our primary goal. This is done through educational materials, training courses, and direct technical assistance to members. http://www.nfec.org.
New Uses Council, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization run by volunteers dedicated to expanding the development and commercialization of new industrial, energy, and non-food consumer uses of renewable agricultural, forestry, livestock and marine products. http://newuses.org/.
Sustainable Energy Coalition. Represents more than 30 national business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations (with links to each organization's web site). Founded in 1992, the Coalition promotes increased federal support for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and reduced federal support for unsafe or polluting energy resources. www.sustainableenergy.org.