Erico Matias Tavares, director for Gaia Energy, emphasized in the interview the importance of the government adopting policies to encourage the growth of the biomass sector of the domestic energy industry in Ohio. Biomass is organic matter — such as corn cobs — used as a fuel, especially in a power station for the generation of electricity.

“The key question is how to level the playing field relative to coal, for instance, which despite its cost advantage does not generate any local jobs and is regarded as a polluter,” Tavares said. “The biomass industry has developed significantly in Europe because of a supportive regulatory framework, which enabled us to develop the practices and technologies to become global leaders in this field. The same needs to happen in the U.S., and there is still a lot of necessary debate on this front taking place over here. In any event, Ohio is well-placed to become a leading player in this industry once all these factors come into place.”

In October, Gaia Energy participated in Ohio’s first-ever corn cob harvesting trial, at Beam Farms near Sabina. The trial run was a success, Tavares said.

“We learned a lot in terms of its capabilities and logistics, both of which are critical to establish a viable biomass enterprise. We are now focusing on the cost-effective processing of cobs and other biomass to provide cost-effective energy applications,” Tavares wrote.

As for the company’s plans for next growing season, he said the firm would like to go commercial-scale next season, based on what company officials are learning this year.

“The challenge is to be able to learn enough this year so that we can implement this objective within the stated time frame,” he said.

If biomass energy is feasible on a commercial scale in this part of Ohio, some sort of processing facility would be needed to process the local biomass.

“Our objective is to establish facilities locally. That is what makes sense for our business and, above all, the community,” Tavares wrote.

Tavares also elaborated on the possibilities for Gaia solar energy jobs in the area.

“We are actively pursuing several small- to mid-size solar PV [photovoltaics] opportunities in Clinton County, where Gaia Energy funds the bulk of the equipment costs under turnkey solutions. Owners get cheaper electricity with a minimal equipment investment, thus providing a very quick payback,” he said. “We intend to use local employees as much as possible, which involves providing the opportunities for people to train in this field.

“And the county improves its green energy generation profile nationwide, which is a key growth industry going forward — just look at the success of the solar industry in California. Again, it is hard to say how many jobs will be created, but we hope they will be significant,” Tavares said.

He said the advantage of focusing on smaller solar units, as opposed to a large solar park, is that employment benefits “can be multiplied across the community, providing direct electricity savings for the owners of the equipment.”

Why did Gaia Energy choose to register its U.S. subsidiary in Ohio rather than some other state?

“For several reasons. Those include strong support from the local community, together with city and county leaders; Clinton County is taking proactive steps to mitigate the impact of the [local jobs] crisis and create alternatives; a supportive Ohio government regulatory framework; and incentives provided under the green enterprise zone,” Tavares said.

The local support for the company is something Tavares said is appreciated.

“We would like to thank the continued support of everyone in Clinton County — farmers, college faculties, students, city and county leaders, Southwest Landmark, power companies, Energize Clinton County and so many other people who have been working with us in this opportunity,” Tavares replied. “On our side, we are endeavoring to be where we need to be, despite the adverse economic situation and evolving regulatory framework.”