Prince George, B.C.- The Bioenergy conference has opened in Prince George with Mayor Dan Rogers telling the 350 delegates about the new downtown district energy system.

 In his welcoming address Mayor Dan Rogers says there are many benefits for the City in having a district energy system   not the least of which is the improvement in air quality as well as the benefits for building a revived downtown.

Prince George is prepared to enter into an agreement with Lakeland Mills that will see Lakeland provide the bio mass, and Prince George provide the equipment. The project is now into an alternate approval process which means residents have until July 21^st to issue their opposition.   It will need 10% of the eligible electorate to overturn the agreement .

Over today and tomorrow,  delegates to the conference will examine new clean technologies, and discuss  expanding bio-energy to other sectors and the policies need to drive that expansion.