Short-Rotation Crops for Bioenergy: Proceedings of IEA, Bioenergy, Task 17 Meeting in Auburn, Alabama, USA, September 6-9, 1999

These proceedings are the results of the third meeting of Task 17 (Short-Rotation Crops for Bioenergy) within the framework of International Energy Agency (IEA), Bioenergy. (Minutes from the meeting can be seen at page 91.) The meeting was held in Auburn, Alabama, USA, September 6--9, 1999. The meeting was held soon after President Clinton of the United States signed Executive Order No.13134: DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND BIOENERGY on August 12, 1999. Executive orders in the US are official documents, through which the President of the US manages the operation of the Federal Government. This order outlines the administration's goal of tripling the use of biomass products and bioenergy in the US by the year 2010. During the time of this meeting, it was also known from sources in Europe that the European Union (EU) commission was working on draft instructions to its member countries on how to increase the use of renewable energy from six to twelve percent in Europe within 10 years. The objectives of Task 17 support the goals of member countries for bioenergy production and use. These objectives are as follows: to stimulate the full-scale implementation of energy crops in the participating countries; to strengthen the contacts and co-operation between participating countries, scientists, biomass producers, machine developers, entrepreneurs, and end users to select the most urgent research and development areas and suggest projects of co-operation; to inform Ex-Co- members; and to deliver proceedings from the meetings