Bioenergy is gaining increased attention, funding, and momentum across the United States. Bio-energy provides a multitude of national, regional, and local benefits. Benefits include a reduced reliance on foreign energy sources, a decrease in landfill waste, support for rural development efforts. Southern Virginia is well poised to take advantage of perspective bioenergy initiatives.

The purpose of the Southern Virginia Bioenergy Symposium is to provide participants with an introductory knowledge about the growing bioenergy industry, an overview of current land use datasets available for counties in South Central Virginia that can be employed to attract bioenergy facilities, and analysis methodologies that can support the efforts of Southside Virginia's localities to attract a bioenergy plant to the region. For additional information, please refer to the symposium program.

This educational opportunity is appropriate for local / regional / state government officials and related staff (economic development officials, planners, GIS coordinators, and other local government stakeholders, Planning District Commissioner staff, state agency personnel, and non-profit administrators). This symposium should be of interest to anyone concerned with rural economic development opportunities and sustainable energy, particularly as they relate to Southern Virginia.