BUSINESS OF BIOGAS

• Bulletproofing your Business Plan and Revenue Strategies

Veteran developers say the business plans from green developers are often too aspirational, leading to inferior performance and sometimes project failures. Learn the most common parts of a project where actual performance diverges from the original business plan to start with a plan that’s realistic and financeable.

• Project Execution: Timelines/Stage Gates

Project execution has many pieces. And successful execution requires those pieces to be well-coordinated. Which parts need to happen in series or parallel? What parts commonly take longer than expected, and how should the developer account for those potential changes from the beginning? Learn from the lessons our veteran developers have already learned to help your next project execution go more smoothly.

• Permitting Digester and Landfill Projects

Besides the lack of knowledge about biogas systems, most developers list permitting issues as a Top 3 challenge to developing new biogas systems. We’re not going to wave a wand to magically make all permitting officials understand biogas systems, but we can help you prepare as a developer to plan for the time it will take and how to make drawing permits as smooth as possible.

• Dance of the Developers: Coordinating Contracts and Offtake Agreements with your Financier

It’s common for green developers to look at each contract in a vacuum. In contrast, from your lender’s or project equity financier’s perspective, they’re intertwined. Financing won’t happen unless your bank feels the agreements work for them and the project. Learn now how to avoid rude surprises, and what changes lenders are likely to demand.

Speakers

Bernie Sheff, USRED

Craig Frear, Regenis

Bryan Sievers, Sievers Family Farms and Horizon II

John Dannan, Generate Capital

Scott Martin, Burns & McDonnell

As new investors and tools become available to the biogas industry, financing strategies also change. This session will break down the variety of financing options most used and even touch on some of the less common ones.

Speakers

Mike Land, Virentis Advisors (Moderator)

Jon Ellis, Pathward

Jim Lavelle, USRED

Rashi Akki, Ag-Grid Energy

Doug Lamb, McGuireWoods

Between new regulations from CARB, the final RFS Set Rule, and new Treasury guidance on the IRA tax credits, are you up to speed on how to best use all these tools for your next biogas projects? Our speakers will help you get dialed in and point you to where you can dive deeper for your specific project.

Speakers

Ivor Castelino, Bloom Energy (Moderator)

Dawn Rhea, Weaver

Pat Foody, iogen

Kevin Johnson, Vision RNG

What do I need to position my company for purchase? On the other side, how are projects rated by buyers? M&A activity has really increased in the biogas industry recently and there’s much to learn from those who have brokered or signed deals.

Speakers

Aidin Sadr, BMO Capital Markets (Moderator)

Todd Taylor, Avisen Legal

Matt Newsom, Smithfield Foods

Grant Zimmerman, AMP Americas

John McKinney, Sevana BioEnergy

Learning how to develop the harder projects might give you a leg up for your business and help you access new opportunities avoided by others. How have others been successful with: small projects, access issues for power and gas interconnection, tough partners, community opposition, handling food waste, and more?

Speakers

Jessica Niekrasz, SMART Policy Group (Moderator)

Sean Gleeson, REV LNG

Clarke Pauley, Independent RNG Project Development Innovator

Rashi Akki, Ag-Grid Energy

Don Chahbazpour, National Grid

Kraig Westerbeek, Monarch Bioenergy

PFAS, microplastics, groundwater sensitivities, pharmaceuticals, ammonia emissions, biogas reform…these are all things that could impact your next biogas project. Our speakers will cover what regulations we’re already managing and what’s coming down the road, so you can be prepared.

Speakers

Heather Dziedzic, American Biogas Council (Moderator)

Sheila Kraft, Revere

Michael Bell, Weaver

Shannon Baucom, MESKA Solutions

What’s on your list of emerging markets that might influence your project’s business plan? How about CO2, renewable diesel, methanol, hydrogen…? Come hear from some folks who have made some of these projects work or at least come close enough to teach you a thing or two to help you get closer to new revenue streams.

Speakers

Rory Deledda, Air Products Membrane Solutions (Moderator)

Jeffrey Wright, Oberon Fuels

Doug Dagan, Suburban Propane

Faizal Hassan, Anew Climate

Justin Egan, Enbridge