Featured Events

We are happy to feature conferences and exhibitions focused on waste conversion for resource recovery, renewable energy, conversion technologies and related matters. Please see Teru Talk's advertising opportunities for more information.

8th Annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium, September 18-19, 2013  

The eighth annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium will be held on September 18-19, 2013 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.at the Cal/EPA Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento. The theme of the event is "A Call to Action" and will focus on recent California legislation addressing bioresources and the Bioenergy Action Plan, as well as ways to address biogas challenges faced by dairies, wastewater plants, and forestry products residuals handlers, facility siting issues, and use of bioresources for mine reclamation. Intended for all those involved with organic residuals, the symposium brings together industry professionals, municipalities, regulators, legislators, state and federal agencies, researchers, financers, and other stakeholders. The Symposium agenda is still under development but already shows potential for lively conversation. A mystery field trip is scheduled for the end of the second day. The two day event is co-hosted by University of California (UC) Davis Extension and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9. Sponsors are most welcome and four levels are available, ranging from $250 to $1,500. As always, sponsorships come with benefits. Contact Magy Hoyer at <> or (530) 754-8508 for more information on becoming a sponsor, or if you have any other questions about the Symposium. 03/17/2013

Past Events:

2nd Annual Waste Conversion Congress West Coast - November 28-29, 2012

This year's Waste Conversion Congress West Coast is being held on November 28-29, 2012 at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The two day forum is designed to facilitate collaboration between leaders in finance, regulations, and operations to discuss the challenges still facing the waste conversion industry and strategies for achieving the greatest success. The long list of expert speakers include representatives from both industry and government. The congress offers great reasons why you must attend: 1) Everything you need to know about delivering a successful waste conversion project in one place; 2) Guaranteed municipalities attending who are looking for conversion technology solutions; 3) Meet the people that can finance your projects in the long term; and 4) Best Mix of stakeholders from the supply chain to form those partnerships which are crucial in moving forward successfully. Registration is available online with three different options available for attendance. Early Bird Savings are being offered if you register by August 31, 2012. 08/28/2012

SoCal Waste Management Forum Annual Conference & Exhibit, Nov 7, 2012

The Southern California Waste Management Forum (SCWMF or "The Forum") will hold its Annual Conference & Exhibit on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center in Pomona, California. The theme of this year's conference is "Taking Care of Business with a Green Wallet" and covers the key issues of sustainability, composting, conversion technologies, product stewardship, and debris management. Opening the Conference, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Sustainability Coordinator Cheri Chastain will get us all in the mood with "Brewing a Successful Sustainable Business."

Two morning sessions will present parallel dialogues designed to cover the field of resource recovery. Mike Mohajer will moderate Composting discussions to kick off Track 1, followed by Traecey Anthony's speaker team to catch us up on the current status of Conversion Technologies. Moderating the first half of Track 2 will be Hans Kernkamp, General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Riverside County Waste Management Department, for an exploration of Debris Management. In Track 2's second session, resource recovery and recycling specialist Cynthia Vant Hul will manage a team of speakers to provide an update on Product Stewardship.

A catered lunch will find us all informed and entertained by Lee Silber … his website self-description: "Despite the stereotype, not all surfers are dumb. In fact, many are very successful—you can include Lee Silber in that group. He went from owning a surf shop and surfing every day to become a best-selling author and trainer . . . and surfing every day."

After lunch, The Forum has planned a round table session entitled “AB 341’s MCR – Lessons Learned.” The Session will have seven panelists including Howard Levenson, CalRecycle; Paul Alva, Los Angeles County; Howard Morris, City of Pomona; Ron Saldana, Los Angeles County Disposal Association; Jim McCarthy, Condominium Management Services; Suzanne Passantino, Republic Services; and Michael Theroux, Teru Talk. Teru will discuss our position on implementing AB 341's Mandatory Commercial Recycling programs.

Anyone interested in exhibiting their products or services or in some other way supporting the conference should complete the fill-in forms and send them by email toor by fax to (951) 277-4498. Forms for Registration, Exhibitor, Conference Sponsor, and Scholarship Sponsor are available online. If you have any questions, contact The Forum's office in Yorba Linda at (714) 866-9988. 07/29/2012

7th Annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium, September 11-12, 2012

Co-sponsors University of California (UC) Davis Extension and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have jointly announced that on-line registration has opened for the California Bioresources Alliance (CBA) Symposium. This year's timely topic is "Renewable Energy from Organic Residuals." The workshop-format symposium is scheduled for all day Wednesday and Thursday, September 11 and 12, 2012 in the California EPA building, downtown Sacramento. Registration includes a two-destination field trip during the afternoon of the second day to the high-solids anaerobic digestion facilities of Clean World Partners to the north and south of the city. The EPA notes that nationally, organic materials compose two-thirds of the solid waste stream, the largest component. The symposium will focus on how to evaluate what waste conversion systems are most effective, and where organic waste conversion can be best integrated for production of biogas from biosolids, green wastes, food processing residuals, food wastes including Fats-Oils & Grease (FOG), manure and other animal wastes. An early look at the draft agenda shows that California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross will provide the keynote. Session 1 will address Bioresources Policy and Institutional Issues with speakers from Air, Water and Energy boards and commissions. A review of the Economics of Digesters fills Session 2, while Alternatives for the Future and for Today get coverage in Sessions 3 and 4. Wednesday morning starts with a packed Session 5 addressing conversion of Urban Residuals to Power and Fuel, to be followed by CalFire and Tahoe Basin representatives in discussion of Forestry products and fire ravaged lands reclamation. The Field trip wraps the after-lunch agenda. The fee for the symposium is $175.00 and registration can be completed online. Enroll in section 122NAT630. Contact Region 9 EPA's Lauren Fondahl ator at (415) 972-3514 for more information. 07/27/2012.

08/25/2012 Update: See Teru's Focus Report on "Renewable Energy from Organic Residuals, Interview: Neil Black, President of California Bioenergy."

08/28/2012 Update: Agenda for the Symposium is now finalized.

National Biodiesel Conference & Expo 2012, February 5-8, 2012
The conference will be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. The first Sustainability Symposium on Biodiesel is February 8th, the last day of the Conference. 01/20/2012

The Waste Conversion Congress - West Coast, December 6-7, 2011

The Waste Conversion Congress - West Coast is the fourth in a global series of waste-focused events and will be held in San Jose, California on December 6 and 7, 2011. The West Coast forum has been designed as a roadmap to planning, funding, permitting, designing, building and operating a profitable waste conversion project. The two day event is specifically structured to facilitate personal meetings with investors, technology developers, waste management executives, and public officials. The roadmap agenda is organized in sections with presentations by technical, financial, and governmental experts in the waste conversion arena, numerous case studies, and panel sessions. The first day sections include presentations on financing, permitting and regulation, and waste conversion - a commercial, scalable opportunity. The sections scheduled for the second day are a two part waste conversion technology showcase and a section on community perception and public consultation. The second day also includes an exclusive workshop on "Anaerobic Digestion under the Microscope." A round table discussion with everyone in attendance will take place following the workshop. You can still register online or by telephone at 1 (800) 814- 3459 ext 7185 or +44 (0) 207 375-7185. 11/11/2011

2011 Global Clean Energy Congress & Exhibition, November 1-3, 2011

The Global Clean Energy Congress & Exhibition is scheduled for November 1-3, 2011 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Congress is the inaugural event dedicated to providing a platform for companies and innovators to showcase unique, cutting edge, sustainable technologies. It will provide a global platform to demonstrate, discuss and debate global clean energy strategies, policies and technologies, and will encompass a comprehensive Conference, Exhibition, workshops and networking opportunities. The event begins on Monday, October 31st with workshops dedicated to clean energy innovation, including principles of carbon capture and storage, life cycle assessment of energy systems, and environmental issues for the energy sector. The conference and exhibition kicks off on Tuesday, November 1st with the opening ceremony and discussion of the new technologies that are leading the clean energy revolution. Wednesday, November 2nd encompasses the application of technology in the field, and includes presentations and  technology demonstrations. The last day of the event focuses on integration of the tools and strategies to move forward in the clean energy industry. Networking opportunities with visitors, exhibitors and conference delegates will be available throughout event. Pricing is available for one day or the full conference, and you can register online. 10/12/2011

SARTA's Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase, October 24, 2011

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) CleanStart initiative will host an informal webinar on advanced biofuels and the Greenwise Sacramento program's “Million Gallon Challenge” on September 20, 2011 starting at 11:00 am PDT. California's Sacramento region is developing a public/private buying cooperative for significant volumes of advanced biofuels, spurring commercialization and encouraging the development of a local biofuels industry, starting with a million gallons per year and increasing to a million gallons per month. Michael Theroux (Teru) will present in the webinar, along with Tim Taylor of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and Gary Simon, Director of CleanStart. There will be sides and a short panel discussion followed by an opportunity for questions and answers. This topic will be one of several that will be covered in depth at the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase October 24, 2011 on the campus of Sacramento State University, where Teru will participate as a panel member. Mark your calendars; webinar participation information will be posted here soon. You can register online in advance for the webinar. 08/10/2011

CHP2011 Conference and Trade Show Scheduled for October 17-19, 2011

CHP2011 is the only nationwide conference and trade show dedicated solely to combined heat and power (CHP), cogeneration, tri-generation, and waste heat recovery. The event will offer unparalleled education, business development, and networking opportunities for industry professionals, energy efficiency advocates, policymakers and staff, and prospective CHP adopters. CHP2011 will include two workshops, keynote speakers, plenary and breakout sessions on various topics, exhibits by top manufacturers and service providers, tours of local CHP facilities, and an awards luncheon.Exhibit and sponsorship opportunities are available.The event will be held October 17-19, 2011 in Houston, Texas at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Early bird pricing has been extended through September 16, 2011. Visit www.CHPCon2011.com for more information. 08/21/2011

California Biomass Collaborative’s 8th Annual Forum, April 5-6, 2011

The California Biomass Collaborative (CBC) has announced the agenda for their 8th annual Forum at the University of California (UC Davis) Conference Center on April 5-6, 2011. This year’s CBC event is presented and managed as part of the broader UC Energy Week 2011, which will run from April 4th through the 7th. Day One of the Forum is dedicated to Forest Biomass and Energy Production with presentations ranging from regulations to environmental quality and carbon balance issues. The US Forest Service will provide an assessment of resources; bioenergy industry guru Greg Morris will moderate a session on the state Bioenergy Action Plan and federal EPA regulations and policies impacting biomass use. The session closes with User’s Perspectives and an extended Q&A session. Day Two tackles “Using Urban-Derived Biomass”, and Teru will avidly follow the balanced international, national and California pro and con perspectives to be presented. Particular attention will be focused on post-recycling residuals conversion with presentation of Los Angeles County’s conversion technology development efforts and of Plasco Energy Group’s approach. A later session targets food waste conversion; Gills Onions will present a case study of their onion waste digestion to biogas production project, using the Biothane AD systems. An evening reception follows close of session at the UC Davis Conference Center. UC Energy Week includes the Cal Integrated Systems Forum, Wind Forum, Solar Forum and Geothermal Forum in addition to the Biomass Forum. For registration and further information, see the UC Energy Week web site. 03/22/2011