Sharing Call: Wednesday, July 13, 2011: Learn more about a privately owned regional food digester
Practice Greenhealth members are invited to join us to learn more about a privately owned regional food digester that is going to receive food waste/compostables from the Portland Metro Region.
When: Wednesday, July 13 at 12:30 eastern for one hour
Brief Project Description
Columbia Biogas is an innovative clean energy company that will convert commercial food waste into multiple “green” products including renewable energy, water, and high-quality fertilizer. Through a process of anaerobic digestion, organic matter will be broken down in the absence of oxygen and produce methane-rich biogas. The Columbia Biogas facility expects to set a standard in the United States for anaerobic digestion of commercially-generated food waste. The facility expects to generate biogas with the potential to produce approximately five megawatts of energy, which is equivalent to the electricity requirements of 5,000 homes. Providence’s Mike Geller will share the benefit to Portland Metro area facilities that were previously trucking their compostable food waste to the Seattle area.
Website:
http://www.columbiabiogas.com/
John McKinney Bio
John McKinney is an entrepreneur with over 17 years of experience financing and managing energy related investments. Prior to Columbia Biogas, John founded Verde Power in 2001, a green-field development firm involved in the development of utility scale wind power projects. John has managed all aspects of project development including resource assessment, land acquisition, business development, power purchase agreements and interconnection strategy and negotiation, regulatory, permitting and project finance. He has extensive relationships in the renewable power market. In 2005, John co-founded Greenrock Capital, which worked exclusively with a leading global investment bank to originate, structure and negotiate over $650 million in partnership and project finance transactions involving renewable power developers and projects. John oversaw the firm’s corporate strategy and investment strategy, origination, structuring and monitoring activities.
Holly Stirnkorb Bio
Holly Stirnkorb has 20 years of experience in the field for environmental planning with an emphasis in the areas of waste reduction, recycling, and solid waste management planning. Her experience includes working with both the public and private sectors in all phases of project management, program planning, implementation and evaluation. As a consultant and senior staff for Washington County Solid Waste and Recycling, Holly has worked extensively with government agencies, the commercial sector, and industry groups. Holly has been working with John McKinney, the President and Founder of Columbia Biogas on a variety of aspects of the Columbia Biogas project since January of 2010.
Mike Geller
Most of you know Mike Geller – one of the veteran’s of health care sustainability and recently increasing his responsibility as a regional sustainability coordinator for Providence Health & Services.
Let me know if you would like to join! Janet
Janet Brown
Director of Sustainable Operations
888/598-2110
www.practicegreenhealth.org
